Boost for Liverpool’s Champions League hopes after victory over Crystal Palace

LONDON – Liverpool’s bid for Champions League football next season was further boosted after they survived a scare and defeated Crystal Palace 3-1 at Anfield on April 25.

The result means that they moved up to fourth on 58 points, level with third-placed Manchester United, who host Brentford on April 27, and fifth-placed Aston Villa, who lost 1-0 to Fulham earlier in the day.

The top five will qualify for the Champions League next season.

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson, who scored their second goal, told Sky Sports: “Our objectives this season have changed due to our form but the Champions League is so important to this football club and we’ve made a big step.

“We knew if we won, we could go above Villa. We want to chase the teams above us.

“When you’re reigning champions, we believe we had a squad to compete and when you don’t, there’s always going to be noise.

“This football club belongs in the Champions League, so it’s important we put a run together to achieve that.”

The Reds started the match dominating possession and controlling the tempo of the game, backed by their home fans’ support as they exchanged short passes around.

Their patience nearly paid off in the 23rd minute with a penalty after Brennan Johnson’s tackle. Referee Andy Madley blew for a spot kick but reversed his decision following a VAR check.

Despite Liverpool dictating play, it was not until the 32nd minute that their first decent chance came.

The Palace defence could not clear the ball and a rebound fell to Mohamed Salah, who was deep inside the box. The forward’s well-hit shot, however, flew just over the bar for a goal kick.

Building on that opportunity, Arne Slot’s men opened the scoring just three minutes later.

Alexis Mac Allister played through to striker Alexander Isak, who showed his determination to get to the ball ahead of a couple of Palace defenders. From inside the box, he fired a shot into the top-right corner for 1-0.

It was the Swede’s first league goal since the end of December, when he suffered a broken leg. He returned only earlier in April.

Liverpool then made it 2-0 shortly before half-time, when Curtis Jones teed up Robertson in the box and the defender rolled the ball past Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Palace nearly pulled one back in first-half stoppage time. Maxence Lacroix outjumped the Liverpool defence when a cross arrived, but his promising header hit the right post and bounced away.

The second half started less eventfully than the first and Palace had half a chance in the 52nd minute, when Borna Sosa smashed a shot from the edge of the area. But it went harmlessly past the right post.

Midway through, Liverpool once again held possession and played their neat passing from player to player, hoping for a right moment to open up the Palace defence to get a third goal.

Palace, however, scored in the 72nd minute against the run of play.

Daniel Munoz collected the ball from a rebound and, from the edge of the box, he unleashed a shot inside the left post to make it 2-1 and a nervy end to the game for the home side.

But it was not to be Palace’s day, as Florian Wirtz secured victory with the Reds’ third goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time from a superb volley in the box.

In the relegation battle, Tottenham Hotspur beat demoted bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 with an 82nd-minute Joao Palhinha goal – their first league win in 2026. They, however, remain in 18th place on 34 points, two behind West Ham United, who defeated Everton 2-1.

Spurs goalscorer Palhinha told the BBC: “The reality is that this victory is much more than that for me and my teammates, for the supporters as well. It’s not a normal season we’ve been living until today. We all have responsibility in this season, but the reality is that we have four finals into the finale of the league.

“We need to do our job. Hopefully this win can change what has happened in the past, give us a bit more motivation as well, because it’s been a long time without victories. What we can control right now is to do our job until the end of the season and keep the club where they belong – the Premier League.”