Refereeing gods serve lunchtime delight for Jurgen

JORD DROPPER: Palace winger Ayew is shown a red

JURGEN KLOPP will never like anyone calling the 12.30pm television slot on Saturday his “favourite kick-off time”. But maybe the refereeing gods reckoned Liverpool were owed a result on their return to London for the first time since September’s defeat at Tottenham. Then, nine-man Liverpool were beaten by Spurs and blundering VAR officials when a Luis Diaz goal was wrongly disallowed. This time Crystal Palace had a penalty overruled on a VAR review before the 75th-minute dismissal of Jordan Ayew changed the game. Within a minute, Mo Salah had scored his 200th Liverpool goal before Harvey Elliott beat substitute goalkeeper Remi Matthews too easily with the injury-time winner. Liverpool were dominant in the closing stages but it had been a long time coming. Klopp’s men avoided a second Premier League defeat of the season in the capital and Palace fans applauded off Roy Hodgson – who had criticised his own supporters in midweek – and his players despite the loss. But for most of this slow-burning match, a home win had seemed the most likely result. The Liverpool boss had snapped at Amazon Prime presenter Marcus Buckland in midweek after he jovially suggested this was his “favourite kick-off time”. Klopp branded the questioning “ignorant” and “disrespectful” but his on-air irritation set the tone for initial on-field timidity in miserable South London.

For the first 75 minutes, the Reds’ display was as grey as the skies above Selhurst Park.

The Saturday lunchtime start time is great for the Premier League marketing as the revolving advertising boards for Asian betting companies around Selhurst Park show.

But what is good for punters in Hong Kong, Hanoi and Tokyo was less enriching for early entertainment in the pitch.

The first big decision eventually went their way after referee Andy Madley took four minutes and 24 replays to decide Will Hughes had fouled Wataru Endo before Virgil van Dijk upended Odsonne Edouard.

The Dutchman’s yellow card was also overturned.

VAR also intervened when the referee missed a foul by Jarell Quansah on Jean-philippe Mateta before the Frenchman scored from the spot.

Ayew’s second yellow card could have gone either way – but the momentum in the match then changed.

And Liverpool maintained their challenge in the title race.

After a final Europa League group game in midweek, the Anfield club’s next two Premier League matches are home blockbusters with Manchester United next Sunday and then Arsenal on December 23.

Win both of those matches and Klopp’s side can be talked about as title favourites.