Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace: Score and Reaction from 2015 Premier League Match

Jurgen Klopp suffered his first defeat as Liverpool manager on Sunday as Crystal Palace extended their winning streak against the Reds to three matches with a 2-1 triumph at Anfield.

Yannick Bolasie gave the Eagles a deserved lead midway through the first half, but a late flurry from the Reds saw Philippe Coutinho pull level with a lovely finish before the break. Liverpool looked better in the second half and more likely to find a winner, but instead, it was Scott Dann who earned his side the win.

The Reds still haven't beaten Crystal Palace since the faithful 3-3 draw that ended Liverpool's title dreams in the 2013-14 campaign, and Sunday's result adds yet another page to the nightmarish story.

As shared by Liverpool's official Twitter account, Coutinho returned to the starting XI after missing the Europa League clash with Rubin Kazan, and he was joined by veteran centre-back Martin Skrtel.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

The match nearly started in disastrous fashion for the hosts, as goalkeeper Simon Mignolet sent an ill-advised pass to Mamadou Sakho, who was pressured by Bolasie. The defender managed to clear the ball just in time, but the Eagles had made their attacking intentions clear.

Palace pressed high up the pitch, making it hard on Liverpool to keep the ball. Bolasie, in particular, was very active, keeping Sakho busy in the opening stages.

Adam Lallana nearly found his team-mates with an inviting cross for the first real chance of the match, but the Eagles were the better side and looked more likely to score. Per Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo, Bolasie proved a particular handful:

Meanwhile, Reds legend Steven Gerrard had been spotted in the stands, to the delight of the club's official Twitter account:

The Reds did well to keep Yohan Cabaye fairly quiet, but similarly, Coutinho found it hard to get involved in the first 20 minutes. Most of the danger seemed to come from quick counter attacks and from out wide, with the latter leading to the first goal of the match.

Wilfried Zaha sent a cross into the box which Emre Can failed to deal with, and Bolasie took his chance to the fullest, blasting the ball past Mignolet. Jones didn't like the Reds' defensive effort at all:

The goal seemed to wake the hosts up, and Cabaye needed to make a last-ditch tackle to stop Coutinho from running toward the goal. Jordon Ibe also started to find space, but his hard shot was blocked by the Eagles' defence.

Christian Benteke came close to equalising after a good ball in from Ibe, but Wayne Hennessey managed to punch the ball away from danger with an excellent reflex. Benteke nearly found himself in a promising shooting position minutes later, but Lallana's pass was just behind the Belgian.

Sakho landed awkwardly after a clash with Bolasie and had to be replaced by Dejan Lovren just before half-time, which threatened to spell trouble, given Bolasie's clear advantage over the Croatian in terms of athleticism.

But before the forward could take advantage, Coutinho equalised for the Reds with a lovely finish after some great work from Ibe and Nathaniel Clyne. Lallana provided the smallest of touches with his back heel, handing Coutinho the space to shoot.

Per the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce, the Reds' late pressure was exactly what they needed in the first half:

Lovren came close to giving the hosts a lead, but his header was blocked, and the first half finished 1-1.

Liverpool carried their momentum into the second half, and Coutinho came close to sending Benteke through on goal after just a couple of minutes. Play mainly took place in the Eagles' half to start the second half, but gradually, they started finding their footing again.

Zaha should have done better when the visitors ran with numbers toward Mignolet's goal, but he couldn't make up his mind and lost the ball. On the resulting counter, Benteke had a similar problem, and his chance also went to waste.

The Eagles should have reclaimed the lead after 62 minutes, but Zaha couldn't direct his shot on target after holding off three Liverpool players. Alberto Moreno then teed up Benteke beautifully with a cross, but the Belgian headed the ball over. Reds blogger LFCZA thought he should have done better:

Both teams were now fully going for the win, and Mignolet was forced to make a strong save to stop a powerful drive from Jason Puncheon. On the other side of the pitch, Lallana claimed a handball after his shot was blocked by Damien Delaney.

Another goal seemed inevitable, and while Liverpool seemed to have the better chances, it was Palace who grabbed the lead again through Dann. Mignolet did well to save his initial header, but the rebound fell straight back to the defender, who didn't miss a second time.

Per Goal UK's Melissa Reddy, Klopp wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet:

Coutinho nearly answered the goal with his second of the night, but Hennessey did well to parry his shot with four minutes left to play. Klopp brought on Divock Origi in a desperate attempt to force a late goal, but Liverpool couldn't find any more chances, and the Eagles easily held on for the win. 

Liverpool will head to the Etihad to take on title-favourites Manchester City after the international break, a match that will give fans some idea of whether the team will be able to challenge for a top-four finish this season. Under Klopp, the Reds have looked much improved, but they've yet to face a side the caliber of City.

The Eagles will host lowly Sunderland and should make a push for a spot in the European places with an easy win.

Post-Match Reaction

As shared by Jones, Klopp didn't wish to dwell too much on losing his first match as Liverpool manager:

Eagles manager Alan Pardew was happy his side's attacking intentions were properly rewarded:

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