Times Telegraph Echo March 6 Date: 6 March 2016 Guardian Mirror Standard Opposition: Crystal Palace 2016 Competition: League Independent Mail BBC Benteke's penalty stuns free-falling Palace Benteke penalty snatches win for 10-man Liverpool at Crystal Palace Crystal Palace 1 Ledley 48 Liverpool Firmino 72, Benteke 90+6 (pen) This was the kind of reverse which can knock the stuffing out of a team. Crystal Referee: A Marriner Attendance: 24,000 Palace had been in a position to exorcise dismal form here, leading against Perhaps the next time that Jurgen Klopp ponders his team selection he may depleted opponents with an opportunity theirs for the taking to move well clear consider the possibility of fielding just the ten men in his starting line-up. Until the of the condemned. That they still departed distraught, undermined first by a dismissal of James Milner in the 62nd minute, Liverpool had appeared laboured goalkeeping error and then the award of a penalty deep into stoppage time that and lethargic in their play only to be transformed with the introduction of Philippe had the locals apoplectic, has further darkened the gloom. At present, they are Coutinho and a dreadful error by Alex McCarthy, the opposing goalkeeper. the team whose nosedive is offering hope of a reprieve to those in the bottom Trailing to Joe Ledley's 48th-minute strike and still recovering from the sending off four. of Milner,Liverpool found another gear as the ten men began to play with a zest The sense of despair was palpable at the final whistle. Palace could rage in the and freedom that had eluded them for the majority of the contest. belief Christian Benteke had been on the tumble well before his left foot made Yes, they were fortunate. McCarthy's error gifted Liverpool an equaliser that slight contact with a sliding Damien Delaney’s right knee. The centre-half, having Roberto Firmino gratefully received and Christian Benteke's penalty, which was initially and unwisely slid in as the striker eased around him, had been checking converted in the 96th minute, also came from a mistake by Palace, but the his left-foot challenge when Benteke flicked out to find contact with the manner in which Liverpool fought their way back into the contest was admirable. Irishman’s follow-through. The linesman in front of the visiting supporters flagged "We played with more focus," Klopp, the Liverpool manager, said of his team for the spot kick immediately, even if the referee Andre Marriner needed some after the dismissal of Milner. "We started well but we didn't have a shot at goal. It persuasion to confirm the award. The conversion itself, six minutes into stoppage was not bad but not good enough. "Usually the plan is to play with more direction time, was the last action of the match. in the second half but then we conceded the goal and the red card. Then we had Yet if that was a brutal finale, the home side really only had themselves to blame nothing to lose. When you're 1-0 down you have to be greedier. for failing to settle the contest well before a streetwise substitute could snatch "We deserved the luck at 1-1, forcing the mistake and using it to score our goal. such belated reward. Palace had been the dominant force up to the moment Joe To be honest, nobody really thought that we would try and make another goal Ledley thumped them ahead early in the second half, and should have been in but the ball went into the box, it was a challenge, it was a foul and it was a total command as soon as James Milner was sent off for a second bookable penalty. Christian took the chance for us." offence just after the hour mark. Thereafter, however, they wilted horribly, This victory, Liverpool's first at Selhurst Park in the league since 1997, had betraying all the fragility of a team who have now staggered through 12 matches appeared unlikely in the opening hour when they struggled to get in the game. and 11 weeks in the Premier League without a win. The home side, who had more than played their part in this contest, began Their composure was shattered from the moment Alex McCarthy gifted the brightly and showed little sign of lacking confidence, despite a run of 11 league visitors an equaliser, all authority wrested away in the blink of an eye games without a victory. Palace's assuredness might have come from having won and Liverpool, suddenly focused where previously they had been limp and four of their past six league meetings withLiverpool. They were certainly looking ineffective, the more persuasive threat in what time that remained. comfortable at the interval after the visiting team had failed to register a single The colour had rather drained from Alan Pardew as he confronted this latest effort on target. Palace's level of control was increased within three minutes of setback post match. His exasperation with the penalty award was made clear, but the restart. Liverpool, as so often has been the case this season, did not properly it was the wastefulness of the display which had properly floored a manager who defend a corner and, after Damien Delaney's effort deflected into the path of can normally pluck positives from the most emphatic of defeats. Ledley, the midfielder fired an unstoppable effort past Simon Mignolet and into “Alex’s error affected us and made us nervous,” he said. “We haven’t won for a the far corner. It was no less than Palace deserved, given their dominance, and while but when you’re struggling, you have to try and react well. One or two of Liverpool's task became even more difficult with 28 minutes remaining when my players didn’t, if I’m honest. Milner, who had already been booked for a reckless foul on Yohan Cabaye in the “That’s human nature to a certain extent, but also something I need to eradicate. first half, was shown a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Wilfried Zaha. The way the game unfolded was not good for us. It was all really disappointing It was the moment that would transform the contest and yet not in the way after we scored. Up to that point it was as good as we’ve been, so I’m frustrated Palace might have expected. Milner's absence and the introduction of Coutinho with the result, frustrated with the referee, frustrated with the way we didn’t moments before the red card, brought about a whole new dimension to push on once ahead, frustrated with my substitutes who should have done better, Liverpool's play. The diminutive Brazil playmaker began to exploit gaps in the frustrated with myself. We never pushed on in that last 15 minutes, and that was Palace midfield as Liverpool started to look dangerous for the first time in the the biggest down side of the game. I don’t feel like there were many positives to contest. Yet, when they did manage to haul themselves level there was nothing be had” skilful or exceptional about it, rather it came as the result of a dreadful mistake by He took leave of his media briefing at that point, his mood having deteriorated. McCarthy. There appeared little danger when Ledley passed the ball back towards Ledley, down in the mouth of the tunnel, was busy telling the world the result was his goalkeeper but as McCarthy strode forward to kick the ball downfield he “devastating”, which summed things up a bit more succinctly. slipped and Firmino reacted first before calmly firing the ball into the net. It was a Not so for Liverpool. Jürgen Klopp, whose first Premier League loss had been horrible moment for the Palace goalkeeper, playing in place of the injured Wayne suffered to these opponents back in November, can point to this win as evidence Hennessey, and it was one from which his team would never fully recover. Now it of proper progress given how Palace have haunted those from Merseyside in wasLiverpool who appeared most likely to win and McCarthy had to be alert to recent times. They have snuffed out title challenges and even gatecrashed Steven prevent Benteke, on in place of Divock Origi, from firing the visiting team ahead Gerrard’s final hurrah, and the last three top-flight games had gone the way of after meeting Dejan Lovren's header. Liverpool continued to push forward and, the club from south London. Yet the manner in which the visitors responded to with three minutes of normal time remaining, came within a whisker of taking the losing Milner, penalised for fouls on Yohan Cabaye and Wilfried Zaha, was lead. Alberto Moreno, who had endured a difficult afternoon in defence, strode admirable. Klopp spoke of passion taking over. It eclipsed anything Palace could forward to meet a loose ball 30 yards from the Palace goal before unleashing an offer. unstoppable effort that flew past McCarthy before thudding against the post. Divock Origi had missed an open goal but Liverpool’s urgency started to peg Palace, now clearly struggling to keep pace with Liverpool's renewed vigour, were Palace back. Ledley’s back pass 19 minutes from time was routine, but McCarthy dropping deeper and deeper with McCarthy once again called upon to turn slipped as he attempted to clear and presented the ball to Roberto Firmino. The Benteke's curling effort away to safety. The home side did not heed the warning.