Match ends, Crystal Palace 3, Liverpool 3.
Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer
- From the section Football
Liverpool squandered a three-goal lead in the final 11 minutes at Crystal Palace to see their Premier League title hopes suffer a severe blow - and leave Luis Suarez in tears at the final whistle.
Brendan Rodgers's side looked to be maintaining the pressure on title favourites Manchester City, and reducing a gap in goal difference that remains at nine.
Joe Allen's first league goal for Liverpool and strikes from Daniel Sturridge and Suarez put the Reds in complete command as the visiting fans urged their side forward in search of more goals, with City in their sights.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Instead, their fragile defence collapsed completely at the first sign of serious pressure as Palace sent Selhurst Park wild with goals from Damien Delaney and a double from substitute Dwight Gayle.
Liverpool's point put them back on top of the table, but the sight of players on their haunches and an emotional Suarez - his face covered by his shirt as he was ushered towards the tunnel by captain Steven Gerrard and substitute Kolo Toure - told the tale.
Manchester City are now in pole position to win the title, with home games against Aston Villa and West Ham United to come.
Rodgers will be at a loss to explain how his team crumbled so badly to squander the chance to move closer to their first title in 24 years.
Palace have proved their quality against illustrious opposition before this season, but here they made a tame start and allowed the visitors to take the early initiative.
Liverpool had a clear penalty appeal rejected early on when Yannick Bolasie missed his kick completely in the area and only connected with Glen Johnson.
Referee Mark Clattenburg only awarded a corner, and Liverpool were frustrated once more when Mamadou Sakho headed Gerrard's kick off target when completely unmarked.
Johnson was causing problems down Palace's left flank, and he should have put Liverpool ahead when he found himself clear on the end of Allen's raking long pass, but his header beat home keeper Julian Speroni and the bar.
Liverpool's threat was growing and it was no surprise when they finally went ahead after 18 minutes. Allen pulled away from marker Joe Ledley to meet Gerrard's corner with space and time to head past Speroni.
Palace finally showed more ambition as half-time approached, and Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet was called into action to save from Jason Puncheon and Mile Jedinak.
Any hope of a recovery seemed to be swept away by Liverpool's dazzling start to the second half that, at that stage, looked to have put the game out of Palace's reach and ate into City's superior goal difference.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Sturridge saw his curling shot superbly turned on to the post by Speroni, only for Suarez to blaze the rebound wildly off target with the keeper still trying to recover his position.
Speroni had no such luck moments later when Sturridge's low shot from the edge of the area took a crucial deflection and trickled out of his reach.
Liverpool, sensing there were more goals to be had, surged forward and Suarez made it three with his 31st Premier League goal of the season when he beat Speroni easily after a neat exchange with Raheem Sterling.
Palace had shown little but were revived 11 minutes from time when Delaney's 25-yard shot was deflected high beyond Mignolet.
Liverpool suddenly seemed gripped by panic and Palace exposed them ruthlessly two minutes later as Bolasie squared for Gayle to score with a precise finish.
And then, with two minutes left, the visitors' misery was complete as substitute Glenn Murray chested a long ball into Gayle's path for another comprehensive finish.
As Palace players celebrated, Liverpool's reacted in a manner which suggested they believe their title challenge is finally over.
Line-ups
Crystal Palace
- 1Speroni
- 3MariappaBooked at 30mins
- 2Ward
- 8DikgacoiSubstituted forInceat 85'minutes
- 6DannBooked at 67mins
- 27Delaney
- 13PuncheonSubstituted forGayleat 65'minutes
- 15Jedinak
- 29ChamakhSubstituted forMurrayat 71'minutes
- 28Ledley
- 7Bolasie
Substitutes
- 4Parr
- 11Ince
- 12O'Keefe
- 16Gayle
- 17Murray
- 19Gabbidon
- 26Hennessey
Liverpool
- 22Mignolet
- 2Johnson
- 38Flanagan
- 8Gerrard
- 37SkrtelBooked at 63mins
- 17Sakho
- 21Leiva
- 31SterlingSubstituted forCoutinhoat 78'minutes
- 15SturridgeSubstituted forMosesat 86'minutes
- 7SuárezBooked at 50mins
- 24AllenBooked at 25mins
Substitutes
- 1Jones
- 4K Touré
- 5Agger
- 9Iago Aspas
- 10Coutinho
- 12Moses
- 20Cissokho
- Referee:
- Mark Clattenburg
- Attendance:
- 25,261
Match Stats
Home TeamCrystal PalaceAway TeamLiverpool
- Possession
- Home35%
- Away65%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away26
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away8
- Corners
- Home7
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 3, Liverpool 3.
Attempt blocked. Lucas Leiva (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Victor Moses.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Damien Delaney.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Thomas Ince.
Attempt missed. Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Glenn Murray with a headed pass.
Foul by Steven Gerrard (Liverpool).
Joel Ward (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Luis Suarez.
Goal!
Goal! Crystal Palace 3, Liverpool 3. Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Glenn Murray with a through ball.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Victor Moses replaces Daniel Sturridge.
Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Luis Suarez.
Attempt blocked. Glenn Murray (Crystal Palace) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Thomas Ince with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Thomas Ince replaces Kagisho Dikgacoi.
Hand ball by Luis Suarez (Liverpool).
Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Martin Skrtel.
Glen Johnson (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace).
Goal!
Goal! Crystal Palace 2, Liverpool 3. Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Yannick Bolasie following a fast break.
Attempt blocked. Joe Allen (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Martin Skrtel.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Julian Speroni.
Attempt saved. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Joe Allen.
Goal!
Goal! Crystal Palace 1, Liverpool 3. Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Mile Jedinak.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Philippe Coutinho replaces Raheem Sterling.
Foul by Raheem Sterling (Liverpool).
Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Glenn Murray (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Joe Ledley.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Scott Dann.
Attempt blocked. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Joe Allen.
Attempt blocked. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Sturridge.
Substitution
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Glenn Murray replaces Marouane Chamakh.
Attempt missed. Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Steven Gerrard with a cross following a corner.
Booking
Scott Dann (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Julian Speroni.
Attempt saved. Glen Johnson (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Dwight Gayle replaces Jason Puncheon.
Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Glen Johnson.
Booking
Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Martin Skrtel (Liverpool).
Marouane Chamakh (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the left wing.
