Match ends, Crystal Palace 1, Liverpool 2.
Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace1LiverpoolLiverpool2
A stoppage-time penalty by Christian Benteke gave 10-man Liverpool a dramatic 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Benteke went down following a challenge by Damien Delaney and got up to coolly score the spot-kick.
Palace had led through Joe Ledley's 48th-minute finish and Liverpool's James Milner was sent off for a second yellow card on 62 minutes.
A calamitous slip by Palace keeper Alex McCarthy gifted Liverpool their equaliser, scored by Roberto Firmino.
The defeat leaves Alan Pardew's men without a win in 12 Premier League matches.
Penalty drama at the end
The penalty was a sensational end to the match, with Palace boss Pardew hurling his coat to the ground in frustration.
Delaney's knee touched Benteke's ankle and referee Andre Marriner, guided by a well-placed assistant official, awarded the match-winning spot-kick.
It gave McCarthy the chance to become a hero after his earlier mistake, but Benteke stepped up to end 715 goalless minutes in all competitions.
Costly blunder by keeper
Palace, the only team without a Premier League victory in 2016, were on target to win after Ledley netted as the ball ping-ponged around the box following a corner.
But the error by the recalled McCarthy changed all that.
The 26-year-old keeper, back in the Palace side for the first time since September with Wayne Hennessey injured, slid in attempting what seemed a straightforward clearance.
But he kicked the ball straight to Roberto Firmino, who accepted the gift by making it 1-1 in the 72nd minute.
Liverpool's 10 men on top
The win means Liverpool are now up to seventh in the table and just six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
And they did it by dominating the match after going down to 10 men.
They were losing at that stage and it looked like another case of Liverpool's inconsistency after their superb 3-0 midweek win over Manchester City.
The stats show they earned it as, despite losing Milner, Liverpool ran further as a team than Palace over the 90 minutes, clocking a collective 113km to their hosts' 111km.
Man of the match - Adam Lallana (Liverpool)
The stats you need to know
- Palace have gone 12 Premier League matches without a win (D4 L8), the current longest winless run in the top-flight.
- Roberto Firmino (11) has scored or assisted more Premier League goals in 2016 than any other player (7 goals, 4 assists).
- James Milner was sent off in a Premier League game for only the second time in his career (first v WBA in Oct 2012).
- No Premier League side has scored more goals from corners this season than Crystal Palace (10) - level with Spurs.
- Christian Benteke ended a run of 715 minutes in all competitions without a goal for Liverpool.
What's next?
Spirits will be high in the Liverpool camp as they host Manchester United in the first leg of their Europa League tie on Thursday. Their next Premier League match is away to Southampton on Sunday, 20 March.
Crystal Palace's sights now turn to their first FA Cup quarter-final final for 21 years. On Friday, they are away to Reading, the only non-Premier League club left in the competition.
Line-ups
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-4-2
- 12McCarthy
- 2Ward
- 6DannBooked at 11mins
- 27Delaney
- 23Souaré
- 11Zaha
- 7CabayeSubstituted forMutchat 70'minutes
- 15Jedinak
- 28LedleySubstituted forGayleat 82'minutes
- 25AdebayorSubstituted forSakoat 81'minutes
- 10Bolasie
Substitutes
- 1Speroni
- 14Lee
- 16Gayle
- 22Mutch
- 26Sako
- 29Chamakh
- 34Kelly
Liverpool
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 22Mignolet
- 38FlanaganSubstituted forCoutinhoat 61'minutes
- 6Lovren
- 17Sakho
- 18MorenoBooked at 86mins
- 7MilnerBooked at 62mins
- 14HendersonBooked at 10mins
- 23Can
- 20Lallana
- 11FirminoSubstituted forK Touréat 88'minutes
- 27OrigiSubstituted forBentekeat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Clyne
- 4K Touré
- 9Benteke
- 10Coutinho
- 15Sturridge
- 24Allen
- 52Ward
- Referee:
- Andre Marriner
- Attendance:
- 24,709
Match Stats
Home TeamCrystal PalaceAway TeamLiverpool
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away19
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away5
- Corners
- Home6
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away16
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 1, Liverpool 2.
Goal!
Goal! Crystal Palace 1, Liverpool 2. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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Penalty Liverpool. Christian Benteke draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace) after a foul in the penalty area.
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Foul by Dejan Lovren (Liverpool).
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Yannick Bolasie (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt saved. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Philippe Coutinho.
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Christian Benteke (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Scott Dann (Crystal Palace).
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Attempt blocked. Emre Can (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Christian Benteke.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Kolo Touré replaces Roberto Firmino.
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Offside, Crystal Palace. Mile Jedinak tries a through ball, but Yannick Bolasie is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
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Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) hits the right post with a left footed shot from outside the box.
Booking
Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Alberto Moreno (Liverpool).
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Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Roberto Firmino (Liverpool).
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Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
