For a club of Palace’s stature and history, it won’t be misplaced to suggest that our fan base experience the highest of highs (in comparative terms) and the lowest of lows and reflect the moods associated with both, waxing lyrical whilst also chastising without hesitation.
For this victory, there must be time devoted to the true impact.
This result should signal a measure to which we aim not to drop as faced with the undesirable task of gaining a result against one of Europe’s elite is a challenge for teams with superior resources to Palace, yet not only did we compete we left victorious.
Such was the nature of the win that even MOTD2 devoted their analysis to the Palace performance rather than highlight any short comings of the Liverpool staff.
The starting eleven consisted of make-shifts, square pegs and those who have largely struggled for form and on face value should not have been within a sniff of competing, but on this occasion Oliver Glasner pulled a squad together to not only create a survival strengthening win, but a glimpse into what we hope to continue at Selhurst.
The team was captained by Joachim Andersen who, as the only recognised central defender, has rarely found form this season with or without the dependable Marc Geuhi. Aside of our Dane, we see veteran right back Nathaniel Clyne and makeshift defender Jefferson Lerma all playing in front of a recently installed keeper in Dean Hendersen who, like Andersen, has struggled for form this season.
Without mentioning each member of the squad, not that they aren’t deserving, there needs to be mention for the transition from Hodgson ball to Glasner ball as such.
Glasner entered Selhurst with a clear vision to change the formation and style in which we play and with a vision that, despite the limitations of players fit or representing the squad, he can change our direction and set a foundation for the summer of rebuilding.
Although given the choice, many fans can account for a few dreadful performances this season but there are few worse than Bournemouth at home. A display that was bereft of any style, any cohesion, any patterns of play, and any understanding of how we may operate as a squad. The trip to Anfield proved quite the opposite.
The only and decisive goal of the game was a result of a smooth passing exercise between all facets of our team, exchanging between midfield, defence and attack to create the space in which Ebere Eze cruised into to coolly finish. This proved no fluke as plans to exchange passes between midfield and attack regularly cut through the Liverpool backline, allowing the now in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta to face the Liverpool goal and test their experienced defence.
We can take comfort not only in the execution but the ease at which we played as the pace was dictated, players appeared comfortable and confident in possession and with what seemed a clear idea of the team’s intent and how to achieve the game plan.
The plans for open play are clearly coming to fruition but we may also reflect upon our set piece transformation in attack and defence as, for width of an Allisson palm, Mateta would have doubled the Palace lead and secured a more comfortable final moments on the game.
Reviewing the game, all the above could so easily be discarded should Liverpool have not been so wasteful. For the game to produce so many chances, many of which clearcut, and not yield reward is quite contrary to their usual return for a game at Anfield. This too can indicate the importance of this result and how it can be used to push our squad to the next level and leave this season with positives.
As we look towards the culmination of the campaign with more positivity, there is hope that the astute business conducted in our two major assets in Adam Wharton and Daniel Munoz is now repeated to yield more return as we rebuild for another season at the top of English football. Eyebrows may have been raised at the fee paid for Wharton but the January signing has now established himself firmly in the Palace midfield and can start the next campaign with full confidence amongst the starting eleven.
The remainder of the season will present similar tests to that of Sunday. The result at Anfield should now be used as a marker, a measure that our squad of misfits can compete and find results even in the most unlikely circumstances.
The sun has been creeping through the blinds, with glimpses of what we can expect under the new model and signs of brighter times to come, it’s now we must draw upon our most remarkable result of the season to push towards the end of the season and push this points tally up in Europe’s top league.
