Liverpool’s late-season problems reared their ugly head again

Liverpool 0 Crystal Palace 1

JURGEN Klopp’s Anfield farewell has two more games remaining after this Eberechi Eze-inspired Crystal Palace win, but as a deflated crowd made its way home last night, it was hard not to see this as the end of his last ever title run.

The “Last Dance” has a few more games left and, who knows, possibly some more twists and turns left in the championship contest with Manchester City and Arsenal.

But what a time for Liverpool to lose their first home league game, since Leeds won here 533 days ago, and what a time to record a second Anfield league defeat in 59 games.

Alisson and Trent Alexander-Arnold returned from their respective two-month injury absences but Liverpool’s late-season problems again reared their ugly head, as they had in Thursday’s embarrassing home Europa League loss to Atalanta.

“You have to ask these questions, what it means for the title race and the answer is pretty easy,” said Klopp.

“If we play like we did in the first half why should we win the league? If we play like we did in the second half then we can be in football games and then we will see how many we can win.

“We have to still be around when the other guys struggle, if they struggle. But we have to win football games anyway and now we start a new string of four away games so it won’t be easy.”

Yet, even before that midweek Italian job, there had been warning signs - the Reds had conceded first to Luton, Manchester City and Brighton in recent home games - and the latest visitors exploited them fully in a first half in which they led by one but would not have been flattered by a three-goal advantage.

It took a breathtaking goalline clearance from Andy Robertson, sprinting back to hook clear Jean-Philippe Mateta’s