Wirtz Dazzles Against Crystal Palace to Spare Liverpool a Painful 200-Day Scoring Drought

Liverpool bounced back to winning form with a 3–1 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday in their last fixture before the November international break, a result that lifted them to fourth place in the Premier League table.

Consecutive losses to Arsenal and Fenerbahçe had dented confidence within Andoni Iraola's squad, but spirits were lifted just before the interval as the Reds, albeit somewhat unconvincingly, took the lead at Selhurst Park.

The home side had produced the half's standout moments as Yéremy Pino rattled the crossbar, Jørgen Strand Larsen had a goal disallowed for offside and Alisson was called upon for several acrobatic stops, but Alexis Mac Allister's near-post header proved decisive heading into the break.

Liverpool were fortunate to survive the opening 45 minutes in London, yet there was nothing lucky about how they extended their lead shortly after the restart. A swift counter-attack found Florian Wirtz, whose composed finish marked his first Premier League goal of the campaign and his first in 197 days.

Alexander Isak added gloss to the scoreline in the 89th minute after Liverpool had expertly managed the game, though Eddie Nketiah's stoppage-time penalty denied a superb Alisson a clean sheet.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Liverpool's attack found itself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in last weekend's narrow loss to the defending champions. For the first time in recorded history (spanning 442 matches), the Reds failed to register a single shot on target during a Premier League home game at Anfield.

Despite Iraola implementing a more proactive and high-intensity style than his predecessor Arne Slot, goalscoring and, perhaps more importantly, chance creation have remained vulnerabilities in Liverpool's play, particularly against deep-sitting defenses in the Premier League. Only 11 goals had been scored across the opening nine matchdays, during which they ranked second-worst in the division for big chances created.

A heavily invested forward line has struggled to justify expectations, and Liverpool encountered familiar difficulties during a largely frustrating first half. They might have edged ahead from a set piece, but their open-play expected goals (xG) total stood at a mere 0.26. Including dead-ball situations, their attacking quartet of Isak, Barcola, Wirtz and Cody Gakpo had combined for just 0.51 xG, without managing a single shot on target.

The second half brought a clear improvement, most vividly illustrated when Barcola burst down the flank and delivered a pinpoint cross for Wirtz to finish emphatically. It was a glimpse of just how lethal Liverpool's attack can be when given time and space—arguably the key reason they perform so much better in the Champions League than in the Premier League.

As the game wore on and the gaps in Palace's backline grew wider, Liverpool thrived increasingly on the counter. Isak became more prominent, Wirtz gained confidence and lively substitutes Rio Ngumoha and Victor Muñoz exploited fatigued opponents.

Iraola will no doubt push for greater consistency from his attackers after the November international break, but Liverpool's second-half display was certainly a move in the right direction.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—8.2: A stunning reflex save denied Daichi Kamada moments before Mac Allister's opener, followed by a superb fingertip stop to keep Liverpool ahead at the break. Two crucial interventions served as a reminder of his exceptional quality.

RB: Ronald Araújo—7.1: Liverpool fans have embraced their loanee warmly, but this was a scrappy outing from Araújo. Palace's most threatening moments came through his side, and a reckless yellow card for a late challenge summed up an underwhelming display.

CB: Jérémy Jacquet—8.0: Jacquet struggled in Istanbul during the week, but this was far more reflective of his impressive early form at Liverpool. He used his excellent recovery pace to neutralize threats and contributed heavily on the defensive end.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.6: Kept a firm grip on Strand Larsen and was rarely pushed beyond a comfortable pace. Palace had their spells, but Van Dijk remained composed throughout.

LB: Milos Kerkez—7.1: Largely untroubled for most of the match, before giving away a late penalty after colliding with Darío Osorio while contesting a header.

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—8.6: Whipped in several outstanding crosses, one of which was headed home by Mac Allister, and covered enormous ground in midfield with his tireless engine.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—8.4: Extended his excellent run of form by heading in Liverpool's opener, once again proving a surprisingly effective aerial presence despite his compact build. Characteristically tenacious in the defensive third.

RW: Cody Gakpo—6.9: Not among Gakpo's more energetic performances, whether on the right flank or after shifting to the left following the restart. Managed only occasional flashes of his ability.

AM: Florian Wirtz—8.8: Largely on the fringes until his instinctive finish pushed Liverpool further ahead. Grew into the game after scoring, looking considerably more threatening in possession and adding an assist.

LW: Bradley Barcola—7.9: Wasteful when presented with shooting opportunities, most notably blazing a good chance well over the bar just before halftime, but there were encouraging signs elsewhere. He set up Wirtz with a delightful delivery and troubled Palace's defense with his pace.

ST: Alexander Isak—8.1: Scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season in the closing stages, finishing from close range after squandering a good opportunity moments before.

SUB: Trey Nyoni (69' for Szoboszlai)—6.6: Appears increasingly at ease with each appearance in a red shirt.

SUB: Victor Muñoz (69' for Barcola)—6.6: Booked for simulation, but played a role in Isak's goal.

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (76' for Gakpo)—6.2: Showed some lively bursts of pace.

SUB: Lewis Koumas (90+1' for Isak)—N/A

SUB: Joe Gomez (90+1' for Araújo)—N/A

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Kostas Tsimikas, James McConnell, Wataru Endo.

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