Jota seals Liverpool win but talisman Alisson limps off

Alisson Becker remains the king of Selhurst Park, but if he and Virgil van Dijk showed what Liverpool’s title bid will be built on this season, a win at Crystal Palace was perhaps also another indication of why the Reds spent part of this summer looking at the future.

- KARL MATCHETT

The last time the Eagles won at home against Liverpool was in November 2014, long before the Brazilian arrived. On that occasion, Mile Jedinak wrapped up the points with a free-kick sent past Simon Mignolet. In the decade since, the Merseyside club’s defence as a whole has gotten considerably better, as has the holder of the No 1 position.

On more than one occasion, Alisson himself has been the difference between Liverpool taking three points at this very ground and not; two-and-a-half-years ago, in particular, he was a one-man barricade as a dismal defensive display still only saw Liverpool concede once and win 3-1.

While this time didn’t quite call for the same number of heroics, it was still very much down to Alisson that the Reds – dominant for an hour but oddly lax in their finishing and final pass – shut Palace out and, ultimately, recorded a 1-0 victory. Another clean sheet, top across the international break and comfortably the league’s best defensive record is the outcome.