Liverpool moved up to fourth in the Premier League after a thrilling 3-1 victory against Crystal Palace, but the triumph was tinged with uncertainty for Mohamed Salah, who may have played his last match for the Reds. Alexander Isak broke his long‑term goal drought by finding the net for the first time since December, and Andy Robertson doubled Liverpool's advantage before Palace controversially reduced the deficit when Daniel Munoz lofted the ball over a struggling Freddie Woodman. Florian Wirtz then sealed the win with a late strike in stoppage time. The win also pushed Liverpool ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference and level with Manchester United, while extending their lead over Brighton to eight points.
However, the joy was dampened when Salah, who has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season after nine years, collapsed just before the hour‑mark with a painful hamstring injury. Head coach Arne Slot cautioned that it was too early to predict the severity of the problem, noting Salah's habit of pushing himself to the limit even when the team is comfortably ahead. "The prognosis is too early to say," Slot said.
"We all know Mo, how hard it is for him to leave the pitch. If we were 6‑0 and I take him out two minutes before the end, he's still like 'I could have scored two more'. For Mo to leave the pitch, that tells you something, but we have to wait and see how bad it is." The match itself was a roller‑coaster of incidents.
Early on, thousands of Liverpool supporters displayed yellow cards to protest the club's proposed ticket price hikes, creating a vivid backdrop to the action. A penalty awarded to Liverpool after a challenge by Brennan Johnson was initially upheld, only for referee Andy Madley to reverse the decision following a VAR review, sparking heated debate among fans and pundits. Isak's goal arrived in the first half when he controlled a wayward shot from Alexis Mac Allister, redirected it with a deft touch, and sent the ball bouncing over Palace keeper Dean Henderson into the right‑hand corner.
It was his first Premier League goal at Anfield and marked a significant moment in his resurgence after months of limited playing time. Freddie Woodman, making his first start for Liverpool after injuries to Giorgi Mamardashvili and Alisson, performed admirably, denying Jean‑Philippe Mateta twice in quick succession. His second save, a close‑range header, launched a swift Liverpool counter‑attack that culminated in Curtis Jones feeding Andy Robertson, who calmly finished to make it 2‑0.
Palace struggled to create clear chances in the first half, with Maxence Lacroix's header being thwarted by a combination of Woodman's reflexes and the right post. The second half was dominated by injuries and drama.
Salah, after a dazzling run inside the box, slipped and was forced off, prompting a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd. Woodman then appeared to injure his knee while making a save from Sarr, but he recovered quickly enough to continue.
Shortly after, Daniel Munoz capitalised on the momentary confusion, lofting the ball over Woodman's outstretched arms to level the score at 2‑2. The goal sparked a heated discussion about whether the referee should have stopped play for a potential serious injury. Palace manager Oliver Glasner later explained that they consulted the fourth official and even spoke with Slot and Van Dijk before deciding to let the goal stand, arguing that the keeper seemed able to continue.
Liverpool responded swiftly. In the 90th minute, Florian Wirtz, who had been a substitute, struck a powerful shot that ricocheted off the woodwork before finding the net, restoring Liverpool's lead to 3‑1 and effectively sealing the three points. The late goal underscored Liverpool's resilience and their ability to capitalise on set‑piece opportunities. The match statistics reflected Liverpool's dominance: Woodman (8) in goal; a back line of Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk and Robertson; midfield of Mac Allister and Jones; and an attacking quartet of Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo and Isak.
Substitutes Frimpong, Gravenberch, Gomez and Kerkez featured later in the game. For Palace, the line‑up included Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Johnson, Mateta and Sarr, with bench players Sosa, Pino and Strand Larsen making appearances. Andy Robertson was named Player of the Match, praising his teammate Daniel Munoz for his perseverance: "To be fair to the boy, I was the one closest to him and I don't think he looked up until he hit the ball.
I think he looked up when Freddie was back on his feet and then he went back down. In a game like this, you just hope it doesn't punish you because it could have done, it could have been 2‑2 just after. I don't think anyone's to blame, it's part of football." Freddie Woodman reflected on his own injury scare: "The grass was really dry and my knee got stuck in the ground.
I felt pain on the inside of my knee. I was unsure what to do really. I didn't know whether to get up and hobble towards the goal or stay down. It's a bit of an unclear moment if the goalkeeper goes down.
I thought naturally the game stops, but luckily it didn't punish us in the end." Slot addressed the contentious goal and the referee's handling of injuries: "Because of the Palace goal, it became a lot more nervy and I don't think we deserved to concede that goal in that fashion. But Palace were a lot more in the game than the 2‑0 lead showed so it wasn't a complete surprise to me they could score in the second half.
The way we conceded was not as expected. Is there a game we've played where there isn't a talking point about a referee's decision? The amount of times I've played a game when we've been in a promising position and a player is on the floor and the referee has blown his whistle, I cannot even count, and for simulation. We've showed we are a fair team.
We don't go to the floor if nothing is wrong. That happened against Man Utd when Macca (Mac Allister) was on the floor and Michael Oliver kept on playing and we conceded a goal. Macca had five or six stitches afterwards. I find it hard that referees don't go into the game knowing we are not a team that pretends we are injured.
If we're on the floor something serious has happened. I don't blame them (Palace). The referee should stop the game." Glasner, speaking about Munoz's goal, added: "We discussed with the fourth official, with Arne Slot and Van Dijk what to do.
We had watched it back. The keeper gets up. If he doesn't and he has to be subbed then they could have definitely scored in our goal because then it would have been a serious injury.
The ball goes to Daniel Munoz and the keeper raises his arm. He didn't really see it or it is the same time. The referee has to stop the game if he believes it is a serious injury but you see the keeper ends the game.
To demand the referee has to stop the game can be very dangerous for the future. It was not so clear but I think it was the right decision in the end." Overall, Liverpool's victory not only moved them higher up the table but also highlighted the physical toll of a demanding season.
With Salah's future uncertain and the team navigating injuries to key players, the Reds will need to manage squad depth carefully as they approach the final stretch of the campaign. The win, however, reaffirms Liverpool's capacity to respond to adversity and maintain pressure on the league leaders as the title race intensifies.