Crystal Palace v Liverpool player ratings: Guehi 8, Ayew 5; Salah 6, Elliott 8

Merseysiders go top of Premier League after 2-1 win at Selhurst Park

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  Sam Johnstone 7/10

  CRYSTAL PALACE RATINGS: Very quiet opening 45 minutes where Liverpool failed to register shot on target or come remotely close to scoring. No chance with Salah’s deflected effort that was Liverpool’s first on target. Limped off injured with five minutes left. APShow less

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  Joel Ward 7/10

  Picked up booking for obvious foul on Diaz as threatened to launch attack and looked like he was going to have difficult afternoon. Captain had better of battle with Colombian from that moment. AFP

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  Joachim Andersen 8/10

  Danish defender had looked calm and assured all afternoon and it looked like Palace were set for clean sheet and much-needed win until Ayew's sending-off changed game. Booked in injury-time. PA

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  Marc Guehi 8/10

  England defender had been impressive alongside Andersen and did not deserve to be on losing side. Nunez was not given kick by either centre-half. PA

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  Nathaniel Clyne 7/10

  Left-back was up against former club and helped keep Salah very quiet only to deflect Egyptian’s shot into back of net 14 minutes from time to level the scores. AFP

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  Jefferson Lerma 7/10

  Must have thought he’d opened scoring in first half only to be denied by combination of brilliant Alisson save and then the post. Limped off in second half to standing ovation after excellent performance. PAShow less

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  Will Hughes 7/10

  Had home fans on their feet with a few of his no-nonsense tackles but was his foul on Endo that saw first-half penalty decision in Palace’s favour reversed after VAR call. Important block on Szoboszlai shot just before break and workrate was impeccable. AFPShow less

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  Jeffrey Schlupp 7/10

  Usual high-energy performance from Ghanian who had sight of goal on the hour but could only shoot straight at Alisson. Another Palace player whose workrate cannot be faulted. Reuters

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  Chris Richards 8/10

  One perfectly timed sliding tackle as Gravenbach attempted to launch attack in first half summed up his day. Palace gave Liverpool no space or time in midfield and American was key to that. Booked for cynical foul. PAShow less

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  Jordan Ayew 5/10

  Only one goal all season from Ghanian attacker and offered no goal threat here, although cannot fault workrate. One decent ball across six-yard box set up Lerma’s first-half chance. Sent off in second half for two bookings and Liverpool scored less than two minutes later. AFPShow less

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  Odsonne Edouard 5/10

  Palace’s top scorer with six goals thought he had earned his a first-half penalty when he was brought down by Van Dijk only for Hughes to be penalised for foul. Seemed to be limping before break and taken off half-time. EPAShow less

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  Jean-Philippe Mateta 6/10

  SUBS: (On for Edouard 46’) Brought down in box and finished from spot himself to put Palace ahead. EPA

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  Michael Olise 5/10

  (On for Lerma 68’) Should have cleared ball ahead of Salah’s opener. AFP

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  Naouirou Ahamada N/A

  (On for Schlupp 84’) Reuters

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  Remi Matthews N/A

  (On for Johnstone 86’) Goalkeeper came on for his Palace and Premier League debut. One good block from Gomez cross, no chance with Elliot’s fine finish and beaten by lovely Diaz dink but offside flag went up. APShow less

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  David Ozoh N/A

  (On for Hughes 95’) EPA

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  Alisson Becker 8/10

  LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Brazilian keeper returned earlier than expected from injury and produced stunning save to deny Lerma just before half-hour mark. Sent wrong way from spot by Mateta. Another great stop from Andersen deep into injury-time. APShow less

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold 7/10

  Moved into central midfield role after break when Liverpool could probably have benefitted from his crossing from out wide. Pinged some trademark beautiful passes around but was given little time in middle by Palace. EPAShow less

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  Virgil van Dijk 8/10

  Relief for Dutch defender when he chopped down Edouard only for VAR to rightly rule - albeit after ludicrous amount of time - that Hughes had committed a foul in build-up. Immaculate apart from that and key to Liverpool's excellent defensive record this season. APShow less

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  Jarrel Quansah 7/10

  Hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Jurgen Klopp before game, the 20-year-old defender and had barely been troubled until VAR ruled he had fouled Mateta to give away penalty. Subbed straight after. AFP

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  Kostas Tsimikas 6/10

  Left-back started the match piling forward at every opportunity but impact was minimal and attacks waned as match went on. Solid defensively though. PA

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  Wataru Endo 4/10

  Poor first half where he was bullied by Palace midfield, slow on the ball, caught in possession on numerous occasions, giving away needless fouls. No shock to see him taken off at break. AP

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  Ryan Gravenberch 5/10

  His surging runs out of midfield rarely resulted in a good final product and we are still waiting for former Bayern Munich player to take grip of Premier League match. Reuters

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  Dominic Szoboszlai 6/10

  One shot blocked in first half when Liverpool were desperately lacking any cutting edge from midfield. Scored against Sheffield United midweek but never looked like repeating trick here. Getty Images

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  Mohamed Salah 6/10

  Only sniff of goal had been just before half-time but saw shot blocked by Palace defence. But 200th goal for Liverpool and 150th in the Premier League arrived via huge deflection in the 76th minute. EPAShow less

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  Darwin Nunez 5/10

  Like rest of Liverpool attack, anonymous opening half from Uruguayan. A couple of half chances after break but frustrating afternoon for big striker. Reuters

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  Luis Diaz 6/10

  Looked lively early on as he skipped past challenges at will but influence quickly waned, though Colombian thought he had dinked Liverpool 3-1 ahead but caught well offside. Felt like he needed a goal for confidence. ReutersShow less

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  Joe Gomez 7/10

  SUBS (On for Endo 46’) On at right-back moving Alexander-Arnold into out-and-out midfield role. Bombed forward and saw one cross towards near post well blocked by keeper. Booked in injury time. EPA

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  Ibrahima Konate 7/10

  (On for Quansah 57’) Big defender settled straight into back four with ease. Getty Images

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  Cody Gapko 6/10

  (On for Gravenberch 57’) Dutchman was outshone by fellow substitute Elliott. AP

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  Harvey Elliott 8/10

  (On for Nunez 74’) Fouled by Ayew just after coming on, which saw Palace man sent off. Drilled home 91st-minute winner with excellent left-footed strike that was Liverpool’s second shot on target. Getty ImagesShow less

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  Curtis Jones 6/10

  (On for Szoboszlai 74’) Came on just before sending off and helped Liverpool launch late fightback. AP

Mohamed Salah's 200th goal for Liverpool inspired a second-half comeback as the Reds secured a 2-1 victory over 10-man Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Jurgen Klopp's men got off to a lacklustre start in south London, failing to register a shot on target in the first half, while Jefferson Lerma came within inches of an opener for the hosts.

Palace, booed off by their supporters following a disappointing home loss to Bournemouth on Wednesday, were on course to deliver a surprise blow to the Reds' title aspirations following Jean-Philippe Mateta's penalty.

But their positive momentum came to a halt when Jordan Ayew was shown a second yellow and Liverpool levelled thanks to a deflected Salah strike little over a minute later that was also the Egyptian's 150th in the Premier League

Harvey Elliott secured all three points in the first minute of second-half stoppage time and the Reds clung on to the result despite Palace pressure that saw Joachim Andersen denied a late leveller by another good Alisson stop.

Liverpool go top of the league by a single point, with second-placed Arsenal away to Aston Villa in third later on Saturday.

“It's always a great feeling to score, especially to win the game too. Selhurst Park is a hard place to come. We don't give up until the final whistle,” said Elliott after the game.

As for Liverpool's title chances, the match-winner added: “We're going in the right direction. There's a lot of the season left. We need to make sure we keep getting the three points and if we're contenders at the end of the season then let's go for it.

“The aim is to win the Premier League.”

You can see the player ratings from Saturday's game in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.