British-record signing Alexander Isak scored as Liverpool moved closer to securing Champions League football next season but the 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace owed as much to third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
Isak, in only his fifth game back since fracturing a fibula at Tottenham in December, has naturally taken time to rediscover his sharpness after four months out.
But his opening strike was an example of why the club spent £125million to sign him in from Newcastle last summer, displaying the sort of instinctive finishing which the team has lacked.
However, at the other end of the scale the 29-year-old Woodman, on his full Premier League debut for the club, showed there is just as much value in free transfers with one brilliant save leading seconds later to Andy Robertson scoring Liverpool’s second.
Florian Wirtz scoring in added time, his first since January, secured a third successive league win and hinted at what might be next season if he and Isak can combine more frequently having started started three consecutive games together for the first time.
Palace’s 71st-minute goal, controversially scored by Daniel Munoz – who lobbed the ball into an empty net with Woodman laid injured – had subdued the mood.
Anfield’s response to the Colombia international was not kind, as he was roundly booed, had a ball thrown at him from the crowd and was taunted with chants of “cheat”.
But that was forgotten as Liverpool moved up to fourth, eight points clear of sixth-placed Brighton, after Aston Villa’ s lunchtime defeat.
The other only cloud on a sunny afternoon was the sight of Mohamed Salah going off with an apparent hamstring injury.
With only four matches remaining fans may well have seen the last of the club great on the pitch before his departure this summer after nine glorious years but he contributed plenty to a third successive league win.
