'Massive relief' for Klopp as Liverpool edge past Palace

Salah is the league's top scorer with 16 after goals at Anfield that contained huge slices of luck, with Liverpool having to overcome a determined Palace team in a rollercoaster encounter.

Liverpool will happily accept goals of all types as they look to win the league title for the first time in 29 years and this result again heaped pressure on second-placed Manchester City, who face Huddersfield Town on Sunday.

"It's a massive relief. We knew for different reasons the game would be difficult," Klopp said afterwards.

"Crystal Palace traditionally do well against Liverpool and with the physicality it was clear it would be like the first half was.

"We had to stay positive, being one down is not a massive blow, we just needed to win the second half and did what we had to do."

Palace were the last team to beat Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League back in April 2017 and the south London club looked on course to repeat that feat when Andros Townsend gave the visitors a well-worked lead after 34 minutes.

Liverpool came flying out of the blocks after the break though as Salah and Roberto Firmino helped the Reds hit back within eight minutes of the re-start.

Salah's opener for Liverpool came courtesy of a Virgil van Dijk shot that took a huge deflection off James McArthur and fell perfectly to him three yards out before Firmino curled into Julian Speroni's far corner.