Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Liverpool completed a dramatic comeback against Crystal Palace on Sunday to claim an unlikely 2-1 win at Selhurst Park in the Premier League.

Joe Ledley gave Palace the lead immediately after the half-time break before James Milner was sent off for the visitors. However, Roberto Firmino then equalised after a howler from Eagles goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, and the Reds won with the game deep in injury time after Christian Benteke converted a last-gasp penalty. 

It was a scarcely deserved triumph for Liverpool after a match that was played at a frenetic pace but often lacked the quality in attack that both sides required.  

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp picked Mamadou Sakho in defence, replacing Kolo Toure. Jon Flanagan kept his spot at right-back as Nathaniel Clyne was dropped in favour of Alberto Moreno. The German opted to keep everything the same in attack, selecting Daniel Sturridge, Benteke and Philippe Coutinho on the substitutes' bench.

Connor Wickham was absent through injury for Palace and Emmanuel Adebayor took his place. Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey also missed out with an injury and was replaced by McCarthy.

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The Merseysiders started positively, maintaining possession, but it was the Eagles who went closest to scoring in the first half. Yannick Bolasie was denied by 'keeper Simon Mignolet in the opening minutes, before Adebayor watched as his header smashed against the bar from close range.

Outside of these two moments, neither side were showing much class in the final third. BT Sport's Gary Lineker wasn't impressed:

Adebayor claimed a penalty when his silky rabona cross was blocked by Sakho, but replays showed the defender didn't handle the ball. Eurosport UK shared the striker's piece of skill:

OptaJoe highlighted the Reds' dominance in possession but explained their lack of threat in the final third:

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Palace took the lead three minutes into the second half.

Liverpool's frailties at set pieces were once again highlighted as they failed to deal with a corner. The ball was partially cleared but only into the path of Joe Ledley, who slammed his effort into the bottom corner.

Injured stopper Hennessey took to social media to celebrate:

The Anfield giants immediately put the Palace defence under pressure as they hunted an equaliser, but their overall quality was lacking.

Liverpool's woes continued on the hour-mark as Milner saw red for a second yellow card. The England international dived in on Wilfried Zaha as the attacker sprinted away, leaving the referee no choice but to caution Milner for a second time.

Sky Sports Football shared Milner's two costly challenges:

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo wasn't impressed with Milner's actions:

The hosts were clearly encouraged as Liverpool were reduced to 10 men, and pushed forward in their droves, looking for the knockout punch. Klopp showed signs of anxiety and anger from his technical area, as the Selhurst Park crowd found their voice. 

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However, disaster struck on 71 minutes for Palace as a mistake from 'keeper McCarthy gifted Liverpool a goal. The stopper failed to deal with a back pass and miskicked his clearance straight to Firmino. The Brazil international made no error with the gift, and slotted the ball home. 

Sky Sports Football once again shared the action:

Liverpool highlighted Firmino's contribution in 2016:

The game swung back and forth in the final moments as both sides threatened to grab a winner. Moreno hit the post in the 86th minute after a thunderous strike, leaving Liverpool frustrated. 

However, the tale of the game was a lack of quality in both penalty boxes, and the spoils looked certain to be shared at the final whistle.

South London hearts were broken, however, with the last kick of the game as Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Benteke was tripped by Damien Delaney.

The Belgian stepped up to take the spot-kick, and slotted the ball away to claim the points. Sky Sports Statto acknowledged Benteke's goal:

Palace will feel despondent after gifting the win to Liverpool, but Delaney's tackle on Benteke wasn't needed and the correct punishment was handed out.

Klopp will be scratching his head after the victory as his side were poor at times, but the resilience of his 10 men will give him hope as he installs his philosophy through the remainder of the campaign.   

Post-Match Reaction 

Klopp praised Benteke for his last-minute strike as Liverpool stole the points at Selhurst Park, but explained he was far from happy with the performance, per the club's official Twitter account:

Palace next feature in the Premier League on Saturday, Mar. 19 when they host Leicester City. Liverpool play on the following day when they visit Southampton.