Liverpool Player Ratings: Magical Wirtz lead Reds’ return to winning ways at Palace

Liverpool put an end to a brief two-match slump by overcoming a spirited Crystal Palace side 3–1 away from home. While the performance wasn’t entirely fluent, Andoni Iraola’s side delivered when it mattered to secure a hard-fought three points.

The hosts made a confident start, threatening early through Yéremy Pino before Jørgen Strand Larsen had a goal chalked off for a tight offside call after chipping Alisson Becker.

However, it was Liverpool who broke the deadlock late in the first half when Alexis Mac Allister rose unchallenged to head home from a set-piece.

Shortly after the interval, Florian Wirtz put the Reds two goals clear with a neat, composed finish to cap off an improved second-half display. Alexander Isak later put the game beyond reach with a late third, ensuring that a late penalty conceded by Milos Kerkez was nothing more than a minor blip on an otherwise successful outing.

Player Ratings

Alisson Becker — 6/10 Bounced back brilliantly after recent blunders. Produced vital first-half stops from Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton, followed by a sharp save to deny Pino after the break. Frustrated to lose his clean sheet late on.

Ronald Araújo — 6/10 Offered a sturdy defensive presence at right-back, though limited in his distribution. Picked up a booking for a heavy challenge, but helped set up the move for the second goal.

Jérémy Jacquet — 6/10 Recovered well after a difficult midweek outing in Europe. Stood tall against physical pressure, though he was often left exposed by an open midfield.

Virgil van Dijk — 6/10 Engaged in a physical duel with Strand Larsen all afternoon. Occasionally overcommitted, but brought enough composure to steer the defense through tricky spells.

Milos Kerkez — 6/10 A solid if uninspired performance down the left flank. Handled his defensive duties reasonably well for most of the game, though he conceded a late penalty.

Dominik Szoboszlai — 6/10 Showed plenty of intent upon returning to the lineup, delivering dangerous balls into the box. However, his aggressive positioning occasionally left huge gaps in central midfield.

Alexis Mac Allister — 7/10 Liverpool’s standout performer in the middle. Came close early on before opening the scoring with a well-taken header, leading the team effectively despite structural midfield gaps.

Cody Gakpo — 5/10 Won the free-kick that led to the opening goal, but struggled to make an impact overall on the right wing. Looked slightly more natural after shifting sides, but was ultimately replaced.

Florian Wirtz — 8/10 Overcame a sloppy first half where the ball frequently bounced off him to score a crucial, coolly taken second-half goal that should boost his confidence.

Bradley Barcola — 5/10 Had a nightmare opening 45 minutes filled with heavy touches and missed chances. Redeemed himself somewhat after the break by setting up Wirtz’s strike from the right.

Alexander Isak — 6/10 An isolated figure for large stretches of the match. Missed a big opportunity against Dean Henderson before redeeming himself with his seventh Premier League goal of the campaign.

Substitutes

Trey Nyoni — 7/10 Brought much-needed control and stability to the midfield after coming off the bench, helping Liverpool manage the game state effectively.

Victor Muñoz — 6/10 Introduced at the start of the second half; worked hard to follow tactics but had limited impact on the ball.

Rio Ngumoha — 6/10 Added direct speed and energy down the left side during his brief stint on the pitch.