Salah nets milestone as Liverpool controversially edges past Palace

In a contentious English Premier League encounter filled with questionable refereeing decisions, Liverpool rallied from behind to secure a 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace away from home on Saturday. Despite an unconvincing performance at Selhurst Park, the Reds now find themselves at the top of the table.

The pivotal moment occurred in the 74th minute when Jordan Ayew received a seemingly harsh second yellow card for what appeared to be an innocuous challenge on Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott. This decision significantly shifted the game’s momentum. Almost immediately, Mohamed Salah scored his 200th goal for the club, equalizing for the visitors.

Crystal Palace had initially taken a deserved 57th-minute lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty conversion, prompted by VAR urging referee Andy Madley to review a potential foul on the striker. However, the hosts were left aggrieved when VAR overturned their penalty claim in the 30th minute, deeming a foul by Will Hughes in the build-up.

The decisive moment unfolded in stoppage time when Elliott delivered a decisive goal, securing Liverpool’s hard-fought victory. Throughout the match, the Reds managed only two shots on target, relying on exceptional goalkeeping from Alisson to keep the score level earlier on.

Amidst all the officiating controversies, Liverpool can breathe a sigh of relief, having secured three crucial points to solidify their unexpected position at the summit of the EPL as the year 2023 comes to a close.