Liverpool moved back to the top of the Premier League table this afternoon courtesy of a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield.
The Reds took the lead after just 14 minutes when Luis Suarez improvised to poke the ball past Julian Speroni despite slipping inside the box.
It was 2-0 just three minutes later when Daniel Sturridge hammered a shot into the far corner from a tight angle having created space inside the box.
Liverpool were then awarded a controversial penalty as Raheem Sterling was adjudged to have been fouled by Dean Moxey inside the box when replays suggested that the contact took place outside the area.
Steven Gerrard stepped up to the spot kick and made no mistake in scoring his 99th Premier League goal.
Palace pulled a goal back in the second half when Dwight Gayle flicked his header into the far corner after some good movement inside the box.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a comfortable afternoon for Liverpool.
Match statistics:
Liverpool:
Shots 13
On target 7
Possession 62%
Corners 10
Fouls 11
Crystal Palace:
Shots 11
On target 2
Possession 38%
Corners 3
Fouls 6
Was the result fair?
Absolutely. Liverpool dominated the first half and could have realistically been five or six up at the break. Palace struggled to deal with the Reds and looked set to be on the end of a rout come the final whistle. However, Liverpool took their foot off the pedal in the second half and Palace improved enough to deserve their solitary goal. There were positive signs in that second half for Palace, but there is no doubt that Liverpool deserved all three points from this match.
Liverpool's performance
In the first half, they were irresistible at times. Much has been said about the attacking duo of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez, and both players gave the Palace defence the runaround in the opening 45 minutes. Victor Moses hit the bar with a glorious chance and Speroni made a few good saves to keep the score down to three, but Liverpool were in complete control. The second half performance was nowhere near the same level as they took their foot off the pedal to the point of getting complacent, but overall there were plenty of good things for Brendan Rodgers to take from the match.
Crystal Palace's performance
Things are looking grim for Palace. They were simply swept aside by a much better team in the first half, and there was not much that they could do about it. They had a couple of chances in the opening 45 minutes but were lucky to only be trailing by three at the interval. They did improve in the second half, helped in no small part by Liverpool's decreased level of performance, and deserved their goal when it eventually came, but they will need to improve if they are to stay in this division. That goal was a major highlight for them, however, as they hadn't scored in any of their previous three matches.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Luis Suarez: What a return Suarez has had following his ban. His two-goal show against Sunderland was backed up today when he opened the scoring with a brilliant piece of quick-thinking. He tormented the Palace defence in the first half and was perhaps the only player who still looked dangerous for Liverpool after the interval. Liverpool's results without him in the side were good, but performances like today's remind fans of just how much they would miss him if he left.
Biggest gaffe
This one goes to the linesman for awarding Liverpool a penalty in the first half. It was a tough decision and not exactly a million miles away from the area, but he got it wrong and allowed Liverpool to score the goal that ultimately ended the game as a contest. It was a gaffe that had major consequences for Palace, and the type of decision that has already had Ian Holloway fuming this season. There was no doubting that Dean Moxey fouled Raheem Sterling, but it was not inside the area.
Referee performance
Anthony Taylor had a decent game on the whole. The penalty decision was incorrect, but that seemed to be the linesman's call rather than Taylor's. There weren't many major decisions to be made and overall is was quite an easy game to officiate.
What next?
Liverpool: Next up for Liverpool is a tricky away trip to face Newcastle after the international break.
Crystal Palace: Palace, meanwhile, will be looking to stop the rot when they host Fulham on October 21.
Barney Corkhill
