Liverpool’s two most expensive players were influential in their 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, with counter-attacking football finally back!

Having only recently been staring down the barrel of Europa League football, Liverpool have jumped to fourth in the Premier League thanks three wins in a row.

The Reds are finding some form just when they need it in the Champions League battle, and here are five positives that Liverpool can build on from their 3-1 win over Palace.

Alexander Isak breaks his Anfield league duck

Alexander Isak‘s first season at Anfield has been one to forget, with form and injuries a major issue.

Liverpool’s record signing was enduring another frustrating day early on against Palace, but that all changed when he fired home the opener.

While not the cleanest strike he’s ever hit, Isak showed great speed of thought, bringing down Alexis Mac Allister‘s scuffed effort and burying a finish.

Incredibly, it was the Swede’s first home Premier League goal for Liverpool – imagine being told in August that he would have to wait until late April for it!

Hopefully, this is a big step in the right direction for Isak, whose top form is needed in the remaining four games and beyond.

Liverpool paid £125 million for him for a reason, and if he hits his Newcastle level, the Reds could have a future Anfield great on their hands.

Florian Wirtz magic in front of the Kop

Florian Wirtz has been more of a slow burn than an explosive presence for Liverpool, but there has still been plenty to admire.

The German scored his best goal yet for Liverpool against Palace, sending a half-volley gliding into the corner of the net in front of the Kop, showcasing his world-class technical ability.

Wirtz’s subtle class almost works against him at times, with a deft, underrated pass to Curtis Jones playing a key role in Andy Robertson‘s goal.

Rival fans may be quick to criticise the 22-year-old and baulk at his price tag, but when you look closely, Wirtz has shone more than he hasn’t.

He has created the joint-second most chances in the Champions League this season, only behind Real Madrid‘s Arda Guler, and that’s in a struggling Liverpool team.

There is a reason why Jurgen Klopp called Wirtz a “once-in-a-century” footballer!

Return of the counter-attacking Reds!

Liverpool’s football has been pragmatic over entertaining this season, which has been one of the many reasons why Arne Slot has found himself under pressure.

Against Palace, though, the Reds scored arguably their best counter-attacking goal of the campaign, with Robertson finishing off a superb move.

Quick on the counter ???? pic.twitter.com/KmXY1WtQUF

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 26, 2026

There hasn’t been enough pace to Liverpool’s play all year long, but this drew comparisons to the Klopp era, when opponents couldn’t deal with their speed and quality on break.

Here’s hoping this is a sign of the counter-attacking brilliance coming back ahead of next season, especially with more pace expected to be added out wide this summer.

Alexis Mac Allister looked a more effective figure

Mac Allister has been among Liverpool’s most disappointing performers this season, having shone so much in his first two years at Anfield.

Too often, the Argentine has looked tired and one-paced, but he enjoyed a more influential performance at home to Palace.

Not only did Mac Allister assist twice – the first was rather fortuitous in truth – but he also made an unrivalled 11 defensive contributions for Liverpool.

Having not started at Everton last weekend, with no midweek game either, the Reds’ No. 10 looked more vibrant than he often has this season.

More of the same at Man United next Sunday, Macca!

A much-needed ‘clean sheet’ (THAT goal doesn’t count!)

Liverpool’s defensive woes have been all too regular in 2025/26, but they are showing positive signs there late in the campaign.

With Freddie Woodman shining as the fourth-choice goalkeeper, after Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Vitezslav Jaros, the Reds bagged a ‘clean sheet’ – well, that’s if you aren’t counting Daniel Munoz’s controversial strike.

Granted, Palace produced almost double Liverpool’s expected goals (2.26 to 1.14), which shouldn’t be ignored, but Liverpool aren’t offering up chances as charitably as before.

It’s now only nine goals conceded in as many league matches – one per game, compared to the season average of 1.29 per match.

These are small wins, admittedly!

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Liverpool U21s were beaten 3-1 on penalties against Crystal Palace, with Will Wright bagging a brace but the Reds losing their Premier League 2 play-off clash.

Liverpool U21s 3-3 Crystal Palace U21s (1-3 on pens)

Premier League 2 (round of 16), Kirkby Academy
April 26, 2026

Goals: Wright 12′, 58′, Figueroa 112′; Cardines 15′, Marsh 29′, Gibbard 107′

The young Reds faced a big game at the Kirkby Academy, taking on Crystal Palace under-21s in a last-16 clash, knowing that defeat would knock them out.

Given the relative importance of the match, it was no surprise to see established players feature, with James McConnell and Trey Nyoni starting in midfield.

There was no start for Rio Ngumoha, however, with the 17-year-old now a firm part of Arne Slot‘s first-team plans.

Will Wright fired wide early on, but it didn’t take long for the teenager to open the scoring, with the influential Kieran Morrison providing the assist.

The opening goal from Will Wright ? pic.twitter.com/n6coNUS4wz

— The LFC Academy (@LFCAcademyX) April 26, 2026

Palace then through Rio Cardine’s pinpoint free-kick, with Pecsi powerless to keep it out, and turned the game on its head when taking the lead in the 29th minute.

Their secodn came thanks to Zach Marsh’s finish at the near post, minutes after Pecsi had made a superb reflex stop.

Nyoni was booked just before half-time, as Liverpool faced an uphill battle heading into the second half.

Half-time: Liverpool U21 1-2 Crystal Palace U21s

Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak need to watch this link-up between Will Wright and Kieran Morrison for the U21s and take notes ??

— Bence Bocsák (@BenBocsak) April 26, 2026

It was the Morrison and Wright show again after the restart, with the latter tapping home to bag his second goal of the afternoon.

Palace hit the bar almost straight away, while the ever-dangerous Wright headed comfortably wide as he searched for his hat-trick.

Both sides huffed and puffed for a winner – Pecsi was forced into an important save – but extra-time and penalties would be required to decide the victor.

Full-time: Liverpool U21 2-2 Crystal Palace U21s

Nyoni was replaced by Joe Bradshaw at the restart, as tired legs started to show in Kirkby.

In the 107th minute Liverpool fell back behind as penalties loomed, with midfielder Joe Gibbard the Palace scorer.

But there was still time for another twist thanks to Keyrol Figueroa’s header from Calvin Ramsay‘s cross, with eight minutes remaining.

It was the striker’s first appearance since February 8 and his 13th goal of a productive season – the booking for taking his shirt off seemed worth it!

Penalties were needed and it was Palace who went through, with Morrison scoring but Michael Laffey, Wright and Figueroa all having their effort saved.

It means that Liverpool’s Premier League 2 season is over and they have missed out on a quarter-final play-off against Man United, who beat Sunderland 3-2.

Liverpool U21s: Pecsi; Ramsay, Nallo, Ndiaye, Pitt; Kelly (Laffey 60′), McConnell (Pilling 60′), Nyoni (Bradshaw 91′); Morrison, Sonni-Lambie (Figueroa), Wright

Subs not used: Misciur

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Liverpool have been linked with a potential move for Inter Milan wing-back Denzel Dumfries this summer, courtesy of the reliable Paul Joyce.

Right-back has been a problem area for the Reds this season, not least because of a season-ending knee injury suffered by Conor Bradley in January.

Jeremie Frimpong has had fitness issues of his own, as well as adjusting to life at Liverpool, not always fully convincing since joining from Bayer Leverkusen.

It has meant that midfield pair Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have had to fill in, often admirably, as well as the versatile Joe Gomez.

According to the Times‘ Joyce, Liverpool are “aware of the situation” surrounding Dumfries, who has a £21.7 million release clause in his contract this summer.

The 30-year-old will battle Frimpong for minutes at the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands.

It is claimed by Joyce that Dumfries “was considered” in January after Bradley’s injury, but the “priority” was signing centre-back Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes.

Denzel Dumfries: Shrewd signing or past his best?

Signing a player in his 30s hasn’t generally been Liverpool’s transfer approach during the FSG era, which is why Dumfries would be a surprise addition this summer.

There would be no sell-on value, not to mention the risk of an ageing player struggling to adapt to the pace of the Premier League.

That said, there is also lots to admire about Dumfries, who has started two Champions League finals for Inter recently, in 2023 and 2025.

The Dutchman is now a 71-cap Netherlands international, scoring 11 times for his country, and his experience could be a good foil for Bradley and Frimpong.

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It could also allow Frimpong to become more of a backup winger to whoever comes in as Mohamed Salah‘s successor ahead of next season.

Granted, Dumfries has often been deployed as a wing-back for Inter, like Frimpong at Leverkusen, but he would hopefully have the nous to play deeper at this point in his career.

But overall, Liverpool should be opting against signing Dumfries, given his age, instead looking at a younger option if they are intending on adding depth at right-back.

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Liverpool remembered just who they were with a resounding win against Crystal Palace, though injury to Mo Salah left fans fearing they have seen the last of a legend.

Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace

Premier League (34) | Anfield
April 25, 2026

Goals: Isak 35′, Robertson 40′, Wirtz 90+6′; Munoz 71′

Mo Salah’s Liverpool career could be over

It is always strange and somewhat painful when predicting a historic end. Many Liverpool fans will recall it well from the final days of Steven Gerrard – what does this club even look like without him and how does it move forward?

For weeks now we’ve known that the final farewell of Salah in a Liverpool shirt is approaching, and many have slowly started to make peace with that.

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And yet, it may now have already come. Salah going down and clutching his hamstring on the hour mark did not look good.

This is a footballer famous for simply not getting injured. Wear and tear isn’t in Salah’s vocabulary and yet the Egyptian King knew straight away that something wasn’t right so would have to go off.

What came next was most concerning: the delayed exit, the long drawn stare at all four of Anfield’s corners as the applause rained down. Everyone will obviously hope otherwise, but this could have been Salah’s final-ever run out in the famous red shirt.

A legacy all but unrivalled.

Freddie Woodman – an unlikely hero

The role of the No. 3 goalkeeper is a curious one. Most of the time these guys never ever play, they exist in case of a hypothetical that will never happen. Just ask Scott Carson at Man City for so many years.

But on Saturday, Woodman knew well in advance he was going to have to be front and centre, and he certainly did not disappoint.

Huge credit is due to the former Newcastle man, who fed off the energy of the crowd chanting his name and turned in a seriously impressive performance.

Numerous first-half saves had the Kop in voice, before a remarkable reflex save, down low to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta, led to him starting a counter which saw Andy Robertson bag one of his finest Liverpool goals.

Woodman played on valiantly despite injuring himself in the lead up to Palace’s questionable goal, and this game will live on long in the memory once his football career is wrapped up.

Anfield makes its ticket price stance loud

Liverpool fans do things properly – no half measures – and so when the yellow card protest was arranged to take a stand against FSG’s proposed three-year increases in ticket prices, it was always going to land at maximum effect.

Right on the 13th minute, Anfield turned yellow, cards on every seat soaring into the air.

‘You greedy b******s, enough is enough’, boomed the chant for a full minute to follow. TV cameras panned perfectly to the sheepish face of CEO Billy Hogan in the stands, while his entourage shared smiles and forced spontaneous conversation.

Not a good look for the hierarchy, and the huge Boston Globe banner on the Kop imploring John Henry to listen to the fans sure hit the spot. Now we wait to see what comes next.

Adam Wharton’s Anfield audition shows promise and uncertainty

It is no secret that Liverpool are interested in Adam Wharton. The England international is set to be flogged to the highest bidder by Palace this summer, as they seek once more to ease their financial concerns.

It’s clear Wharton has many, many attractive traits to his game. The sort of player whom managers would love to get their hands on and craft into a multi-functioning high performer.

But here, against a Liverpool midfield which was on the whole rather pedestrian, Wharton failed to grip the battle and bend the game to his will. Mind, the 22-year-old did display several beautifully weighted passes in behind, which is something the Reds could definitely benefit from in the future.

He was also only just returning from an injury, no doubt had one eye on Palace’s upcoming semi final, and still created more chances than any other player on the pitch!

But, given figures of £70-£80 million are being spoken about, it will be interesting to see what transpires in the summer.

Arne Slot’s team are still too slow, but Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz will come good

Stats-wise, it is now becoming boring to say Florian Wirtz will come good.

The Germany international hasn’t had the most remarkable debut season while adjusting to English football, but his data is actually towards the top of the pile. Wirtz is second in the whole division for goal chance creations, and he slowly grew into the match here.

We saw some of the incisive passing and intelligent hold-up play, looking for the run of Isak in behind.

The duo are starting to read each other once more, which we last saw during the mid-season purple patch when each had started to collaborate on a more frequent basis, prior to Isak’s freak injury.

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The Swede took his goal expertly, as did Wirtz, and the Liverpool forward line sure does have the sign of promising shoots growing. The team overall, however, needs to be much faster, more energetic and more ruthless.

For large patches against Palace, it was the familiar story of holding the ball, numerous contained passes going nowhere, a tortoise-pace progression of the ball from the edge of one area to another.

Liverpool have all the tools to scare opponents, but it still doesn’t feel as though they are being used in the correct manner.

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Andy Robertson capped his second start in a row with a brilliant goal as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1, with Arne Slot then asked if his left-back could still stay.

Robertson has started three of Liverpool’s four games since announcing he would be leaving the club on the expiry of his contract this summer.

It is a surprise shift from Slot who had started the Scot in only 15 of the previous 49 in all competitions (30.6%), with it clear his vice-captain still has plenty to offer.

That was no less evident on Saturday as Robertson scored the second of the afternoon on the way to a 3-1 victory which pushed Liverpool up to fourth.

?? "We're really happy with the win and the gap towards sixth place… We know we have to keep winning our games to qualify for Champions League."

Arne Slot's reaction to Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

? @AndyKerrtv #beINPL #LIVCRY #LFC pic.twitter.com/tSqsRObDXl

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) April 25, 2026

In his post-match interview with beIN Sports, Slot was asked whether there could be a change of plans with the No. 26 staying for next season – and he seemingly left the door open for a U-turn.

“I don’t think it’s the moment to talk about that,” he began.

“I think it’s the moment to talk about how important his goal was and how important the win for the team was.

“The fans appreciate him a lot and he appreciates the club and the fans a lot as well.

“Let’s see what the future brings, but this moment in time should be all about his goal, because he doesn’t score that many of them!”

Robertson is already attracting widespread interest ahead of a proposed free transfer, with Tottenham widely reported to have agreed terms over a deal for if they avoid relegation.

But there is still a sense that the 32-year-old has more to offer at Liverpool, not least with Milos Kerkez yet to show he is completely ready to take over as first choice.

While it has been a solid campaign from the Hungarian, who is 10 years Robertson’s junior, he has only contributed two goals and two assists in 44 games following his £40 million move from Bournemouth.

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With Liverpool having established himself as one of the Premier League‘s best-ever creators with 60 assists – the second-most of any defender in the competition’s history – it is a difficult adjustment to make.

The likelihood remains that Robertson will in fact leave Anfield with his final game coming against Brentford on May 25.

Slot’s response was far from emphatic, however, and it would be no surprise if he was hoping to convince one of his leaders to sign a new deal and stay for at least one more season.

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Liverpool supporters displayed their frustration with the club and its owners, as they protested ticket price rises during the Reds’ 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Protests against Liverpool’s announcement that ticket prices will increase for the next three years escalated against Palace.

Ahead of the game, Spion Kop 1906 continued their boycott of pre-match flags and banners on the Kop, and many fans refused to buy club-sold food and drink as part of the ‘not a pound in the ground’ campaign.

Around the ground, thousands of yellow cards were distributed to fans, which displayed principal owner John Henry with his fingers in his ears and the words, ‘Caution, Anfield’s soul is at risk’.

A van fitted with electronic screens carried the same messaging outside the AXA Training Centre as Arne Slot held his pre-match press conference on Friday.

The vast majority of supporters held the cards up at Anfield in the 13th minute of the match, while voicing their frustration by singing: ‘Enough is enough, enough is enough.

‘You greedy b******s, enough is enough.’

Simultaneously, banners were flown on the Kop with similar messaging. One read, ‘Built by Shanks, exploited by Yanks’ and another depicted Henry on the front of the Boston Globe newspaper with the headline, ‘Listen to the fans’.

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In addition, the ‘No to ticket price increases’ banner was walked across the front of the Kop as Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan watched on.

While Hogan himself looked on without too much emotion, the man he was sitting next to appeared to laugh at the considerably passionate protest being made in the 13th minute.

This point in the match was chosen because ticket prices, which will be linked to inflation, could increase by up to 13 percent over the next three years.

The protests were arranged by Spirit of Shankly, along with several other groups that make up the LFC Supporters Board, including Kop Outs, cultuRED, the Liverpool FC Women’s Supporters Club, the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association, Spion Kop 1906 and more.

Why are Liverpool supporters protesting?

Liverpool recently announced ticket prices will increase by three percent next season, with a five percent annual cap set for the next three years.

The 2026/27 season will see general admission ticket prices increase between £1.25 and £1.75 per person, with a forecast for it to rise between £3 and £4.50 per person, per matchday ticket, over the three years.

It means the club, who cite rising operational costs for the decision, can increase prices for the next three seasons without any dialogue with supporters.

Summary of LFC Ticket Increases Category Increase (2026/27 Season) Three-Year Forecast Adult Matchday (GA) £1.25 – £1.75 £3.00 – £4.50 Adult Season Ticket £21.50 – £27.00 £53.50 – £67.50 Inflation Cap 3% (Current CPI) Max 5% per year Junior / Local General FROZEN (£9) FROZEN (£9)

The club will bank an approximate £1.2 million extra next season from the rises, a splash in the water for them, but everything to supporters during a cost-of-living crisis.

Supporter groups have continually said that if the club don’t come to the table and renegotiate, then they will escalate protests further.

The ball is now back in LFC’s court to respond after fans showed it wasn’t just a small number unhappy with the price rises, as had previously been suggested in the club’s briefings.

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