Football May 09, 2026

Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace: Mo Salah injured as Reds move up to fourth in Premier League

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace: Mo Salah injured as Reds move up to fourth in Premier League

Liverpool are up to fourth in the Premier League after earning a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace, but Mohamed Salah may have played his final game for the club.

Alexander Isak scored his first goal since December and Andy Robertson doubled their first-half lead before Palace controversially pulled one back when Daniel Munoz lifted the ball over stricken goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, but Florian Wirtz struck in stoppage time to secure the points.

However, Salah, who announced he would be , pulled up just before the hour mark after feeling his left hamstring, casting doubt over whether he will feature in the remaining four matches.

"The prognosis is too early to say," said Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on Salah's injury. "We all know Mo, how hard it is for him to leave the pitch. If we were 6-0 and I take him out two minutes before the end, he's still like 'I could have scored two more'.

"For Mo to leave the pitch, that tells you something, but we have to wait and see how bad it is."

Slot's side were still able to take full advantage of Aston Villa's defeat at Fulham on Saturday lunchtime, moving above them on goal difference and level with Manchester United, while building an eight-point lead over sixth-placed Brighton.

Anfield was treated to an incident-filled afternoon which began with thousands of supporters holding up yellow cards in protest against planned ticket price increases, before their side had a penalty overturned.

Salah burst through on goal and went down under Brennan Johnson's sliding challenge, with referee Andy Madley pointing to the spot. Johnson had got a touch on the ball and Madley reversed his decision after a VAR check.

Liverpool weren't to be denied for long as Isak controlled Alexis Mac Allister's shot that was heading wide, sending a bouncing shot over goalkeeper Dean Henderson into the right corner for his first Premier League goal at Anfield.

Woodman, making his first start and standing in for the injured Giorgi Mamardashvili and Alisson, was faultless and denied Jean-Philippe Mateta twice in a matter of minutes. The second stop from a close-range header launched a Liverpool counter-attack which ended with Curtis Jones sliding in Robertson, who finished expertly on one of his final appearances at Anfield.

Palace couldn't find a way past Woodman in the first half with Maxence Lacroix's downwards header kept out by a mixture of Woodman and the right post.

The second half was defined by injuries. Salah pulled up at the end of a trademark run inside and was given a big ovation by the Anfield crowd. Woodman then also appeared to be hurt, jarring his knee when saving from Sarr before Munoz lobbed the ball over his head and into the net.

The third-choice goalkeeper was able to continue and was lucky not to concede an equaliser when substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen's shot stayed out after hitting the inside of the left post before Wirtz made sure of the result by smashing in off the woodwork late on.

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson:

"To be fair to the boy (Munoz), I was the one closest to him and I don't think he looked up until he hit the ball. I think he looked up when Freddie was back on his feet and then he went back down. In a game like this, you just hope it doesn't punish you because it could have done, it could have been 2-2 just after.

"I don't think anyone's to blame, it's part of football."

Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman:

"The grass was really dry and my knee got stuck in the ground. I felt pain on the inside of my knee. I was unsure what to do really. I didn't know whether to get up and hobble towards the goal or stay down.

"It's a bit of an unclear moment if the goalkeeper goes down. I thought naturally the game stops, but luckily it didn't punish us in the end."

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot:

"Because of the [Palace] goal, it became a lot more nervy and I don't think we deserved to concede that goal in that fashion. But Palace were a lot more in the game than the 2-0 lead showed so it wasn't a complete surprise to me they could score in the second half.

"The way we conceded was not as expected. Is there a game we've played where there isn't a talking point about a referee's decision?

"The amount of times I've played a game when we've been in a promising position and a player is on the floor and the referee has blown his whistle, I cannot even count, and for simulation.

"We've showed we are a fair team. We don't go to the floor if nothing is wrong. That happened against Man Utd when Macca (Mac Allister) was on the floor and Michael Oliver kept on playing and we conceded a goal. Macca had five or six stitches afterwards.

"I find it hard that referees don't go into the game knowing we are not a team that pretends we are injured. If we're on the floor something serious has happened. I don't blame them (Palace). The referee should stop the game."

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner on Daniel Munoz goal:

"We discussed with the fourth official, with Arne Slot and (Virgil) van Dijk (what to do). We had watched it back.

"The keeper gets up. If he doesn't and he has to be subbed then they could have definitely scored in our goal because then it would have been a serious injury."

"The ball goes to Daniel Munoz and the keeper raises his arm. He didn't really see it or it is the same time," he said.

"The referee has to stop the game if he believes it is a serious injury but you see the keeper ends the game.

"To demand the referee has to stop the game can be very dangerous for the future. It was not so clear but I think it was the right decision in the end."

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