LFC Forever 2017/18

Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace

MotM- Joel Matip

(I'll forgive that header miss because of standing strong against Palace's attackers)

Palace didn't manage to make it 4 in 4 against us at Anfield. Thank you Liverpool for picking that boogey! By one goal to nil of all scores!

This match has been keeping me up at night. I wasn't ready for us to play Crystal Palace, I couldn't have them ruining our first home game. Then I was excited because it's the first home game and new grass and of course Klopp said Sturridge is ready.

We went for rotation with team selection, just to prove we do actually have a squad. This includes Gomez for the first time since 2015 and Robertson's debut.

Robertson goes about immediately proving why we go him. He put a curling cross in and it's us causing a bit of panic in Palace defence. He keeps on providing great attacking balls but either Palace's 5 defenders got it or it was then kicked at the keeper.

One of those brilliant crosses went to Matip and that was a sitter of a header missed. He needs to work on those header goals, he could have at least 3 to his name in the last week if he could put it in the net not on the bar or wide. To be fair in this occasion it looked like the keeper's fist was getting there before him so that probably put him off.

Klavan suddenly looks like a boxer for a minute after Benteke gets him with his arm, he is not booked for that but its one way to put off their attack.

This is so big for us. We beat an outside top half team and Crystal bloody Palace at that! We didn't even play well today but we got our goal, we got our clean sheet, we had no problem with free kicks or corners, Benteke didn't get a sniff. Things are looking up!

It's basically more and more of Robertson does some brilliance, keeper gets the ball. We are putting on some exciting moments but it looks like we're never going to get through. Patience is what we need now.

The camera kept going to Kent, Woodburn and TAA sat watching in suits that the ties looked huge but more importantly TAA looked miserable

Both keepers tested within 30 seconds just before half time agh! Firmino brings out great save, Puncheon finishes Palace breakaway by firing into Mignolet.

Benteke's turn to miss an absolute sitter.

Sturridge's day is done on the hour mark. Wearing his name on the back of my shirt didn't bring a goal from him :/ He looked fine when he went off though and that's always a good thing. He's replaced by Salah

Nine minutes later Gini goes for Solanke's debut. Gini is apparently about to have a baby in the next 24 hours, maybe that's why he's been quiet, mind elsewhere.

Henderson got booked. Hendo was Dad's can't put a foot right player today although it was true that he was passing side wards/ backwards or going for a long ball and hoping too much today. The crowd called him a shit Steven Gerard which I was like but Gerard was great so that's not really an insult, it got us a laugh when the footie was boring.

Gerard's u18s won 3-2 to Blackburn earlier so Hendo's really not following a bad path.

73 minutes in and finally a goal. It was a Palace mistake as well the ball came off them for Mane to steal and put away after pressing from Solanke.

That's about 15 minutes to keep the game. We didn't switch off. We didn't go all out to try to score more. We concentrated and kept our heads. We kept the game in our control even with 4 extra minutes!

We did it! We scored the goal! We kept the clean sheet! We beat the team who usually pisses us off. We didn't even play that well and we won it. We played patiently. We made the right subs. We kept prolific striker against us Benteke at bay. We have actually improved! Things are looking up.

Next up Hoffenheim at home, Wednesday 23 August, 19:4, CL play off second match.