Mohamed Salah limps off injured in Liverpool’s win against Crystal Palace

Liverpool finally lifted the curse of Crystal Palace on a sun-kissed, restorative afternoon at Anfield where Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz scored, third choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman took the acclaim of the Kop and Arne Slot’s side climbed to fourth in the Premier League. Of course, this season being what it is for the champions, there had to be a sting to a third consecutive league win.

Mohamed Salah hobbled off with an apparent hamstring injury that could threaten his involvement in the remainder of his final season with Liverpool. It certainly appeared that way as the Anfield great applauded all four sides of the ground before heading straight down the tunnel. There were also mass protests inside and outside the stadium against Liverpool’s decision to increase ticket prices for the next three seasons. “You greedy bastards, enough is enough,” reverberated around Anfield as the vast majority of fans showed yellow cards to Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Group.

But for Slot, a first win of the season in four meetings with Oliver Glasner’s team, who may have had one eye on Thursday’s Conference League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk, was the priority as Champions League qualification moved a step closer.

Palace started well with Adam Wharton controlling central midfield and Jean-Philippe Mateta occupying Liverpool’s central defenders to allow Brennan Johnson and Ismaïla Sarr to threaten. Anfield was just becoming a little unsettled, and not only on account of ticket price protests, when Liverpool were awarded a penalty for an apparent trip by Johnson on Salah, who stumbled to the ground long after the forward’s challenge. The referee, Andy Madley, overturned his initial decision following a pitch-side review that confirmed Johnson had played the ball first. The incident, however, had a galvanising effect on the home team who took command of the contest with two goals in the space of five minutes.

Alexander Isak gives Liverpool the lead. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Salah, who linked well with Wirtz during his 59 minutes on the pitch, was central to Liverpool’s improvement and an opening goal that would have brought pure relief to Isak. Too strong for Jaydee Canvot, the Egypt international muscled the Palace defender aside to break into the area where his cross was headed away by Chris Richards. Alexis Mac Allister arrived with a low shot that was heading wide until Isak controlled near the penalty spot and swept his second touch into the ground and over the stranded Dean Henderson. Isak may have scuffed the effort but, given this season’s toils, the sight of the ball looping into the Palace net for his first league goal for Liverpool at Anfield will have been sweet regardless.