LFC 1 Crystal Palace 3: Gerrard farewell tainted by another Liverpool let-down

Premier League
Saturday 16 May 2015 - 5:30 pm
Anfield
Liverpool1
3Palace
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⚽️ Lallana25'
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The day was all about Steven Gerrard - but the teammates of the Liverpool legend badly let him down in another dismal display.

Crystal Palace completed the double over the reds this season - and in all honesty 3-1 may even have flattered Liverpool.  Palace having other chances to score - chances that they may have converted if, like Liverpool, they had spent around £200M in the past few seasons.

After Lallana scored mid-way through the first half (against the run of play) this should have been an opportunity for Liverpool to send Gerrard off in style.  Palace had other ideas as Liverpool's defence, and midfield, fell apart.  Liverpool's attack, principally through Raheem Sterling, was non-existent.

There are many players who should have graced Anfield for the last time this weekend - none of them deserve the adulation Gerrard did receive.

Dejan Lovren, a £20M summer signing, was torn apart by Palace's Yannick Bolasie - so much so that the Palace player was applauded off the pitch by the Anfield fans when he was substituted late on - crucial in helping the Eagles land their first Anfield win for 24 years.

Liverpool's goal came from a mistake.  Former red Martin Kelly's misplaced pass landing in Lallana's path and he finishing cleanly.  He ran to Gerrard to celebrate.

But Palace were back in the game soon after.  Emre Can conceding a free kick and Jason Puncheon sending in the free kick.  Simon Mignolet didn't move and it was 1-1.

Second half - no sign of a Liverpool fightback.

Palace sent on Wilfried Zaha and less than 30 seconds later he'd scored.  Bolasie beat Lovren (again) sent in a cross and Zaha fired in.  Replays suggested he was offside, but only with the benefits of super slow-motion freeze-framing.

The reds sent on the big boys - Lucas and Rickie Lambert - it didn't help much.

Lucas brought down Zaha either inside or outside the penalty area.  It was close and the referee elected for the spot.

The penalty summed up Simon Mignolet's Liverpool career.  Miraculously he did manage to get a hand on the penalty - however like so many other times for Liverpool he merely palmed it back into the danger zone - and Murray fired in the rebound.

With a minute to go and with the reds easily beaten the whole ground rose to their feet and began the countdown to the whistle, with applause and renditions of Steven Gerrard's name.

Moments later, the club captain reappeared for his final lap of honour on the Anfield turf.  Good luck in LA, la.

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