Liverpool maintains perfect start
LONDON: Liverpool maintained its perfect start to the English Premier League season with a 20 victory at 10man Crystal Palace yesterday.
A penalty from James Milner and a late goal by Sadio Mane, after Aaron WanBissaka was sent off, secured victory and put Liverpool jointtop on a maximum six points.
‘‘It was not a brilliant performance tonight. Both fullbacks can play perhaps 70% or 80% better,’’ Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports.
‘‘But I like the two goals we scored and I’m very happy with the result.’’
Palace had beaten Fulham on the opening weekend of the season and manager Roy Hodgson had a point to prove against his former side yesterday.
Liverpool dominated possession early on but Palace almost took the lead when
Andros Townsend hit the crossbar midway through the first half with a stunning longrange strike.
But the match turned on a refereeing decision when Mohamed Salah was adjudged to have been tripped by former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho. Milner coolly slotted the penalty to put Liverpool ahead at the break.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson was frustrated by the penalty award.
‘‘What would people expect me to say to that decision? There’s no point even discussing,’’ he told Sky Sports.
‘‘[Sakho’s] a defender. He has to try and defend ; which he did, in my opinion, well.
‘‘And then at the end we have a penalty and it’s not given, when Van Dijk clears out my player, Max Meyer, when he’s about to get a flick on the ball.’’ — DPA