Liverpool completed their salvage operation with a minimum of fuss but a monumental effort. A fifth consecutive Premier League win secured a fifth successive ticket to the Champions League for Jürgen Klopp’s team who, despite every obstacle that blocked their path this season, hauled themselves into third place at the last.No wonder Klopp blew kisses to the Kop when it was all over.
Sadio Mané, epitomising Liverpool’s recovery, ended what he had labelled the worst season of his career with two goals that closed Roy Hodgson’s career with Crystal Palace in defeat. Klopp sought out the former Liverpool and England manager as soon as the final whistle sounded. After a warm embrace, the Liverpool manager returned to his dug-out with a series of fist-pumps that underlined what this rescue act meant following a punishing campaign on a professional and personal level.
From staring at the unwanted complications of Europa League qualification in March, Liverpool preserved their place among the European elite courtesy of a 10-game unbeaten run that featured eight victories and 26 points from a possible 30. Last season’s champions signed off in championship-winning form, and in a position that strengthens Klopp’s conviction Liverpool will challenge again next season once their leaders have recovered from injury.
The leadership group will not feature Georginio Wijnaldum, however. The influential midfielder and retiring kit man Graham Carter were both given a guard of honour by Liverpool players and staff after the final whistle. Wijnaldum is out of contract this summer, and Klopp confirmed he will be moving on. The 10,000 fans at Anfield serenaded the Dutch international throughout the lap of honour and helped give Liverpool one final push, although their welcome return was initially laced with anxiety as Palace opened dangerously.
The visitors should have ahead long before Klopp’s team settled into their rhythm and Mohamed Salah’s expertly-timed runs began to stretch the Palace defence. Alisson was forced into two important saves inside the first six minutes. Wilfried Zaha, deployed as a lone striker, was thwarted at the near post by the Liverpool goalkeeper after beating Nat Phillips to the by-line and opting to shoot instead of pulling the ball back for the unmarked Andros Townsend. Having been tripped by Wijnaldum, Townsend angled the resulting free-kick towards the far top corner only for Alisson to intervene again.
The Palace winger was then involved in the game’s turning point. Seizing on a casual crossfield pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Townsend burst through Liverpool’s central defence and found himself one-on-one with the Brazil international. This time Alisson was beaten but Townsend’s low drive sailed past his left hand post.
It was a wake-up call that Liverpool heeded. Palace did not seriously threaten again as the hosts’ composure on the ball improved and the right sided combinations of Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcântara threatened repeatedly. Alexander-Arnold curled a free-kick over from long range and Salah’s volley deflected wide off Gary Cahill as pressure mounted on Vicente Guaita’s goal. He should have been beaten from the subsequent corner but Rhys Williams, left completely alone in the centre of the penalty area, headed over.
Salah was then released behind Tyrick Mitchell by Fabinho’s exquisite ball but the Palace keeper stood tall at his near post and denied Liverpool’s leading goalscorer with his chest. A breakthrough felt inevitable and duly arrived when Palace again failed to deal with an Andy Robertson corner from the left.
Harry Kane has won the Premier League golden boot award for a third time after scoring in Spurs' 4-2 win at Leicester to take his season tally to 23. Kane, who looks likely to leave Tottenham this summer, also topped the scoring charts in 2015-16 (with 25 goals) and 2016-17 (29). Mohamed Salah went into the final day level with Kane, but could not find the net in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Premier League top scorers
Harry Kane (Tottenham) 23
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 22
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) 18
Son Heung-min (Tottenham) 17
Patrick Bamford (Leeds) 17
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) 16
Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 15
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) 14
Ilkay Gündogan (Man City) 13
Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) 13
Williams wanted the ball more than Cheikhou Kouyaté and his glancing header struck Roberto Firmino before dropping to Mané, who scooped in from close range as Joel Ward desperately tried to intervene. A scruffy way to unlock the riches of the Champions League, but Liverpool cared not one iota.
It was entirely in keeping with the centre-halves’ tale of Liverpool’s season that both Phillips and Williams needed treatment for bloodied head wounds before half-time. Phillips played on after being bandaged up on the pitch and Williams likewise having made an emergency dash down the tunnel for stitches above his left eye. Liverpool did not have any central defensive replacements on a substitutes’ bench that featured Jordan Henderson as Klopp sought to involve his captain on the final day after three months out injured.
The midfielder’s availability represented better news for England than his club ahead of the Euros, with Gareth Southgate due to announce his 26-man squad on Tuesday. There was a weariness to Liverpool’s performance after the interval, which was no great surprise given this was their fourth game in 11 days, but their refusal to give Palace any time in possession was eye-catching. The visitors were offered more hope of an equaliser from Liverpool’s uncertain attempts to play their way out of defence than anything they created themselves, and that hope was extinguished when Mané ended his trying season with his second goal of the afternoon.
Salah was sent scampering away down the right once more by Firmino. He cut inside and exchanged passes with Wijnaldum before finding Mané in space on the left of the penalty area. The Senegal international struck low, his effort took a decisive deflection off Cahill and wrong-footed Guaita en route to the bottom corner. Finally, and at the end of a long and troubled road, it was time for Klopp to celebrate a tangible reward.
