Home horror for Liverpool

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze (right) beats Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker and skipper Virgil van Dijk (left) to score during their English Premiership match at Anfield yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

Liverpool's Premier League title challenge suffered a potentially fatal blow as Crystal Palace won 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday.

Three-way battle for title

A first home league defeat in 29 games for the Reds leaves Jurgen Klopp's men two points behind Manchester City and level with Arsenal, who can go top with victory over Aston Villa later on Sunday.

Eberechi Eze's early goal handed the Eagles a vital win in their battle for survival as they move eight points clear of the drop zone. However, Liverpool's final season under Klopp is unravelling. The League Cup winners were on course for a quadruple just a few weeks ago. But after crashing out of the FA Cup to Manchester United, Liverpool succumbed to a first home defeat in any competition for 14 months when Atalanta stormed Anfield on Thursday to take a 3-0 first leg lead in their Europa League quarter-final tie.

Also Read: Draw with Man Utd feels like defeat: Liverpool's Van Dijk

Fatigue, the cause?

Klopp's men have now won just three of their last eight games in all competitions and are showing clear signs of fatigue after already having played 51 games this season.

Slow starts have been a recurring theme of Liverpool's struggles of late and they were again forced to come from behind.

Alisson Becker made his long-awaited return in goal for the home side but he had no chance when Eze was left with a simple finish from Tyrick Mitchell's cross.

Palace were millimetres away from a second moments later when Andy Robertson produced a remarkable goalline clearance to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta after Virgil van Dijk's slip let the French striker through.

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