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[Analysis Thread: Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool]
I am using edited images - urge you to go through them all. Can’t use videos (copyright).
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I am using edited images - urge you to go through them all. Can’t use videos (copyright).
If you like it, please, please RT & follow me for more such regular PL content. I’ll be very grateful. Also feel free to tag your friends.
I'll keep this thread as short as I can & focus only on the goals, since there are a lot of them. I’m experimenting with shorter thread formats, based on the feedback I have received. Hope you still like it. Feel free to suggest/criticise!
Thread should be complete in 15 mins.
Thread should be complete in 15 mins.
Liverpool’s first goal comes from an excellent pass from Trent. In the picture, notice how Keita’s advanced position has dragged Cahill a little wider than he’d wanted to be, thus increasing the gap between the 2 centre-backs. This gives Mane more space in behind to work with.
(1st pic) Now among Cahill & McArthur (both circled yellow), one of them should close down Mane & the other should occupy the area b/w Kouyate & Clyne. And Schlupp, circled red, should track back & mark Minamino at the edge of the box.
(2nd pic) However, none of that happens.
(2nd pic) However, none of that happens.
The finish is easy but Minamino does well to prevent shooting straight into Clyne, who had dived in to block a potential first time shot. Once he takes the touch & goes past Clyne’s challenge, it is an easy finish.
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-1 Liverpool, Minamino 3’
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-1 Liverpool, Minamino 3’
Liverpool then had a bad 30 minutes where Crystal Palace had several opportunities to equalise and even take the lead. However, they could not finish their chances & were made to regret it when Liverpool doubled their lead in the 35th minute through Mane.
(pic1) The goal starts with a nice line-breaking pass from Keita who finds Mane.
(pic2) Keita's pass takes out CPFC's entire midfield & makes it LFC’s 3 forwards vs CPFC’s 4 defenders. Also notice CPFC’s poor defense line & Minamino dropping b/w the lines to receive the ball.
(pic2) Keita's pass takes out CPFC's entire midfield & makes it LFC’s 3 forwards vs CPFC’s 4 defenders. Also notice CPFC’s poor defense line & Minamino dropping b/w the lines to receive the ball.
There is a second of chaotic pinball. The ball eventually reaches Mane, who shows exquisite forward play. Despite having his back to goal, his first touch is brilliant & helps him create shooting space. He then finishes powerfully.
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool, Mane 35’
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool, Mane 35’
LFC’s third goal comes from a counter-attack after winning the ball back from a Palace throw-in. Trent is alert enough to look up & find Firmino with a good pass. Firmino, as is often the case, hasn’t been picked up in midfield.
Firmino’s role in most of LFC’s counters is to pick up any possible loose ball, turn & find the right pass to keep the move going. Here, the first part for him is easy since Trent’s pass is perfect. He turns & finds the right pass to Robertson, who has a lot of space to run into
Robertson advances & like the 1st goal, there is a big gap between the 2 CPFC centre-backs. Why? Minamino’s run drags Kouyate a little to left & similarly, Mane’s run to the right drags Cahill wide. This opens up a big area in the centre for Firmino. Hope the pic is clear.
Robertson’s cross is perfectly directed into the space Firmino attacks. Firmino’s first touch to control the cross is brilliant & he finishes confidently.
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-3 Liverpool, Firmino 44’
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-3 Liverpool, Firmino 44’
Half time ended with Liverpool being 3 goals up. The scoreline didn’t tell the story for this half since Crystal Palace had their fair share of chances to be in the game but they failed to take them. Liverpool did the exact opposite and took nearly every chance they got.
This trend continued in the 2nd half, as LFC scored early on. So, this is a few seconds before the goal as LFC look to create an opening. Mane has dragged CPFC’s LB (van Aanholt) narrow, making space for Trent. Ideally, the left winger, Eze, should be tracking Trent but he isn't.
Keita sees this & again plays the key pass for the goal, with a first time switch of play to the right. CPFC’s defensive line is all over the place: again, the left side of the defense (circled red) seems completely out of sync with the right side of defense (circled yellow).
I think Trent would have wanted to take a touch that took him towards the goal. However, his first touch isn’t great and takes him a little away from goal. But luckily for him, he has Henderson advancing to the edge of the box.
And Henderson strikes a beautiful first time shot that gives Guaita no chance in goal.
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-4 Liverpool, Henderson 52’
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-4 Liverpool, Henderson 52’
In some ways, this goal was very similar to Mane’s goal: Keita playing the key pass in both situations & CPFC’s defense being all over the place for both goals. The left side & the right side of the defense seem to be maintaining two different defense lines.
Sometime after the 4th goal, Mane was subbed off & Salah came on. And he had a big hand in the next goal, which came through yet another quick counter-attack. Again, it was Trent’s pass that started it all. He picks up a loose long ball from van Aanholt at the edge of his box.
(pic1) Most would play a short pass since they are up by 4 but Trent goes for the most ambitious pass to put Salah through.
(pic2) His pass is good but van Aanholt gets something on the ball, which slows it down. Salah picks up the pass about here & LFC have a counter on.
(pic2) His pass is good but van Aanholt gets something on the ball, which slows it down. Salah picks up the pass about here & LFC have a counter on.
Since CPFC had a corner just before this, their centre-backs are pushed up, meaning the midfielders are defending. Minamino’s run confuses McArthur for a second & drags him a little further away from Firmino, which gives Salah the perfect opportunity to play him through.
Salah’s pass is slightly under-hit, which leaves Firmino with work to do. And he does it perfectly - takes a first touch into the only region where he can retain possession & dinks an onrushing Guaita sweetly with his weaker foot.
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-5 Liverpool, Firmino 68’
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-5 Liverpool, Firmino 68’
LFC added a 6th goal from a corner. The move that won the corner was a typical LFC attack: false 9 (Minamino) dropping b/w the lines to exchange passes with a midfielder (Keita) who then finds a full back (Trent) in an advanced position. Trent’s cross is poor but wins a corner.
It was a very ‘simple’ goal: Matip won the first header & headed it towards the goal, only for Salah to redirect the ball’s trajectory & score, giving Guaita a very hard chance.
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-6 Liverpool, Salah 81’
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-6 Liverpool, Salah 81’
For CPFC, it was a very ‘soft’ goal to give away & came from 2 man-marking errors. Cahill was man-marking Matip & lost him & the header. Milivojevic was marking the area around the 6 yard box. He was aware of Salah but he was caught ball watching & lost track of him.
LFC had time to add another goal: maybe the best of the lot. It again comes in the form of a counter-attack, sort of. Matip & Fabinho combine to win the ball back in their own box & find Keita, who can run at CPFC. He chooses to slow it down, as anyone whose side is up by 6 would
Keita finds Robertson, who doesn’t have forward passing options just yet. However, observe how Henderson’s overlap on the left drags Schlupp (#15) out, unblocking the passing lane to Chamberlain.
Palace’s first minor mistake is to let Chamberlain get the ball. They should have pressed harder but it’s the 84th minute: tired legs. Chamberlain spreads the ball wide to Salah on the right. LFC have quite easily progressed the ball from their box to the attacking third.
There’s still not much threat here. van Aanholt should stick to his basics: not get too tight but force Salah wide onto his weaker right foot & not allow him to cut inside. The central midfielders should also rush out to help their full back deal with a tricky winger.
However, CPFC do none of those things. van Aanholt allows Salah to cut inside & the midfielders don’t come to help quickly enough. To his credit, Salah does all this very quickly & unleashes an absolute beauty into the top corner.
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool, Salah 84’
Goal. Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool, Salah 84’
Full time: Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool. The scoreline was a little harsh on CPFC but that’s what happens when you don’t take your chances & the opposition takes nearly every chance they had.
Interesting note: Liverpool’s 2nd & 3rd goals started from throw-ins! The 2nd goal started from an LFC throw - quick throw to retain possession. The 3rd goal from a CPFC throw: LFC quickly win back the ball & counter.
@ThomasThrowin, LFC's throw-in coach, must be proud!
@ThomasThrowin, LFC's throw-in coach, must be proud!
We have reached the end of the thread. I limited myself to just the goals to keep the thread short. Feel free to suggest/criticise anything! And do follow/RT if you liked it. Every little RT/follow helps & encourages me to do better. Thanks in advance!
