Liverpool are four points ahead with their win at Crystal Palace

Diogo Jota's early goal was enough to give Liverpool a 1-0 away win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League and ensure they head into the international break top of the table.

The Portuguese striker scored his first league goal since the opening weekend after just nine minutes at Selhurst Park, shooting back to find the bottom left corner.

However, things could have turned out differently as Palace attacker Eddie Nketiah had a goal ruled out for offside in the first minute.

The Eagles pushed hard for an equalizer but were unable to break through Liverpool's defense despite creating numerous chances late on.

A sixth win from seven games means Arne Slot's men are four points clear at the top of the table ahead of title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City's clash later on Saturday, while 18th-placed Palace remain winless.

How the game developed

There were just 22 seconds on the clock when Palace had the ball in the net after Nketiah sent a low cross from Ismaila Sarr to Alisson, but he was ruled offside.

And they soon fell behind when Jota shot ahead of Trevoh Chalobah to poke Cody Gakpo's cross past Dean Henderson to mark his 100th start for Liverpool with a goal.

Henderson then directed Trent Alexander-Arnold's low shot wide before Palace almost equalized just before half-time when Alisson went down sharply and parried Sarr's low shot.

Mohamed Salah looked set to score the usual away goal this season when he blocked Virgil van Dijk's pass with his marker to his chest, but Henderson ran off the line and parried his shot from close range.

However, Palace soon established themselves in the game, with Alisson having to make three saves in quick succession to keep out Nketiah, Eberechi Eze and Chalobah and protect the clean sheet.

The Brazilian was forced off in the final 15 minutes due to injury, but Will Hughes and Eze were unable to beat Vitezslav Jaros, who was substituted on his debut, with their long-range shots.

The waiting continues

It was always going to be a difficult task for Palace if they were to get their first win of the Premier League season against leaders Liverpool, although the fans couldn't be blamed for that after their victory over the Reds at Anfield towards the end of the year Had hope last season.

The celebration may have been cut short after Nketiah's very early, disallowed goal, but the moment showed Palace were capable of causing problems for their in-form visitors.

However, with Liverpool dominating possession in the first half, the hosts faltered and struggled to make any impact in the final third.

But Palace looked calmer after they changed formation following a double substitution in the second half, adding another focal point up front with the introduction of Jean-Philippe Mateta.

It's no surprise that their best chances came after Oliver Glasner's tactical switch, but even with the small boost that Alisson's departure gave them, they still couldn't find a way past Jaros, who had a quiet one after his unexpected introduction presence showed.

Palace remain in the relegation zone ahead of the international break but their manager will already be thinking about a crucial trip to Nottingham Forest as they wait for their first three points.

A constant presence

Seven games into the Premier League season and it looks like Slot has settled seamlessly into life on Merseyside, having suffered just one minor blemish so far in a defeat to Forest at Anfield.

Despite Nketiah's early scare, Liverpool showed their trademark calm under the Dutchman and soon took control of the game.

Van Dijk was confident and easily saw through Palace's attempts to play back to eliminate danger, while Ibrahima Konate took the more proactive approach to pressing as part of a formidable defense that still only conceded two goals.

However, it was Ryan Gravenberch once again who dictated the Reds' play, orchestrating attacks from midfield and giving Palace headaches as he linked everything together.

With big games ahead of us, Slot will be a concern due to the muscle injury suffered by Alisson, who cut a frustrated figure as he threw his gloves to the ground when he had to be sent off towards the end of the game.

Slot may not believe his team is ready to be a title contender just yet, but they have laid an impressive foundation for a jump into the league's international top flight.

When top-flight football resumes, the Reds face a massive doubleheader against Chelsea and Arsenal, which could be an indication of how much staying power they are likely to have.

Club reports

Palace Report | Liverpool Report

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Important facts

Arne Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win up to nine of his first ten games in charge of the club (L1), making it the third time Liverpool have started a season after 1961/62 and 1990/91.

Liverpool have won each of their first four league away games at the start of a season, for the third time after 1990-91 and 2019-20.

Crystal Palace failed to win any of their first seven league games (D3 L4); It is the fifth time they have achieved this in the Premier League, following 1992/93 (D4 L3), 1994/95 (D4 L3), 2004-05 (D2 L5) and 2017/18 (D7).

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games against Crystal Palace (W9 D1) and only failed to win in a goalless draw in February 2023.