Sadio Mane secures Liverpool victory against bogey side Crystal Palace

Sadio Mane poked home the only goal of the game as Liverpool banked a first win of the Premier League season against a spirited Crystal Palace at Anfield.

Palace threatened to follow in Watford’s lead by keeping Jurgen Klopp’s side to a point but Mane showed a predator’s instinct to pick up on an error from Luka Milivojevic and grab the winner after 73 minutes.

His second of the season made it two defeats in a row for new Palace boss Frank de Boer and managed to lessen some of the focus on the absent Barcelona target Philippe Coutinho.

What they said

Tweet of the match

Star man – Ruben Loftus-Cheek

While Liverpool’s players were burnished by the glow of victory many were short of their best and even match-winner Mane struggled at times. Loftus-Cheek ended up on the losing side but can be proud of his own efforts in a tough away day. He tackled well, covered plenty of ground and one fleet-footed run and cutback would have handed his side the lead had Christian Benteke kept his shot down. Chelsea may not have found room for him but the watching England manager Gareth Southgate may have other ideas.

In the stands

The away contingent wasted little time dealing with the elephant in the room, roaring “where’s your Coutinho?” early and often and suggesting in slightly coarser language that Liverpool could not match his ambition. There was also a credibility-stretching “he’s one of our own” chant aimed at the Reds’ out-of-favour defender Mamadou Sakho, a Parisian with eight loan appearances for the Eagles to his name.

Stat of the day

707: Days since defender Joe Gomez last appeared in Liverpool’s Premier League starting XI, a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United. His last start in any competition was on January 28, when the Reds were beaten in the FA Cup fourth round by Wolves.

Ratings

Who’s up next?

Liverpool v Hoffenheim (Champions League play-off, Aug 23)

Crystal Palace v Ipswich (EFL Cup, Aug 22)