Mohamed Salah’s 200th goal for Liverpool inspired a second-half comeback as the Reds secured a 2-1 victory over 10-man Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Jurgen Klopp’s men got off to a lacklustre start in south London, failing to register a shot on target in the first half, while Jefferson Lerma came within inches of an opener for the hosts.
Palace went ahead through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 57th-minute penalty, but their positive momentum came to a halt when Jordan Ayew was shown a second yellow and Liverpool levelled thanks to Salah a minute later.
Harvey Elliott secured all three points in the first minute of second-half stoppage time and the Reds clung on to the result despite Palace pressure that saw Joachim Andersen denied a late leveller.
Palace were still looking for just their second home league victory of the season after a disappointing 2-0 midweek loss to Bournemouth, and the visitors were on the attack early when Konstantinos Tsimikas fired wide of Sam Johnstone’s left post from 25 yards.
There was little to excite either side as the clock ticked past the 10-minute mark, the Eagles unable to make anything of their first corner before Salah sent a cross into the arms of the Palace keeper.
Liverpool looked more likely to break the deadlock, but it was Palace who came within inches of an opener shortly before the half-hour mark.
Jordan Ayew’s cross found Lerma at the back post where an outstretched Alisson was able to palm the ball off the upright where it dropped down dangerously again before Trent Alexander-Arnold scrambled in to clear.
Palace were initially awarded a penalty when Virgil van Dijk barged into Odsonne Edouard, but after a lengthy pause to consult VAR, referee Andrew Madley ruled Will Hughes had fouled Wataru Endo in the build-up and the Reds were instead awarded a fortunately-timed free-kick.
The Reds applied pressure but had little to show for it after the first period, while the home support – who booed their side off the pitch three nights ago – recognised the Eagles’ efforts with a burst of applause.
Both managers made changes to start the second half, Hodgson bringing on Mateta for Edouard, who had taken a knock, and Klopp swapping Endo for Joe Gomez.
Though VAR had rescinded the hosts’ first spot-kick, they were more favourably rewarded after the restart, when Jarell Quansah made contact with Mateta.
Play was initially waved on, but Madley was eventually advised to turn to the monitor after a lengthy review and ultimately pointed to the spot, where the substitute fired the hosts to a 1-0 lead with a composed finish.
Palace’s much-needed positive momentum was quickly quashed when Ayew fouled substitute Harvey Elliott and was sent off with his second yellow on 75 minutes and Salah sent a deflected strike past Johnstone a minute later after pouncing on a loose ball inside the area.
There was more bad news for the Eagles when Johnstone was forced off and replaced by Remi Matthews, who could do nothing to deny Elliott who rifled past him to complete the comeback.
Victory for Liverpool was preserved by another huge save from Alisson to stop Joachim Anderson from netting a dramatic equaliser in 10 minutes of stoppage time.
Thiago Silva to rejoin Fluminense when Chelsea contract expires
Thiago Silva will return to his boyhood club Fluminense when he leaves Chelsea at the end of the season, the Blues have announced.
Silva joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 and has made 152 appearances for the club, helping them win the Champions League, Club World Cup and Super Cup.
The 39-year-old confirmed last month that he would leave upon the expiration of his contract in June, pledging to return "in another role" when his playing days are over.
However, that will not be for some time as the centre-back has agreed a two-year contract with Fluminense, who he first joined as a 14-year-old in 1998.
Initially finding opportunities hard to come by with the Rio de Janeiro giants, he had spells with Pedrabranca, Juventude and Dynamo Moscow before returning to Fluminense – initially on loan – in 2006.
He made his name with the club before joining Milan in a €10million deal in 2009, with that move kickstarting the defender's glittering career in European football.
Silva announced he was returning to Brazil on Instagram, posting an image of himself in a Fluminense shirt alongside the caption: "I'm coming home".
Chelsea said Silva will be allowed to train with Fluminense as soon as the Premier League season is over, before becoming eligible to represent the Brazilian side on July 1.
It was feared Silva may already have played his final game for Chelsea when he suffered a groin injury during their 2-2 draw with Aston Villa last month, but he was named in the starting lineup as they thrashed West Ham 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Silva has started 26 Premier League games for Chelsea this campaign, with the Blues conceding an average of 1.6 goals per game with him in their lineup, compared to two goals per match without him.
Ancelotti demands greater intensity from Madrid ahead of Bayern clash
Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid must play with greater intensity if they are to keep their hopes of a record-extending 15th European title alive, with their Champions League semi-final tie against Bayern Munich in the balance ahead of Wednesday's second leg.
Madrid were crowned champions of LaLiga with four matches to spare on Saturday, beating Cadiz 3-0 before watching their closest rivals Barcelona slip to a 4-2 defeat against Girona.
However, that success has not stopped Ancelotti from being critical of Madrid's performance in last week's first leg against Bayern, a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena.
He has warned his players that they cannot afford another subpar performance if they want to contest the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1.
"We need a match with intensity, with pace... Looking at the first leg, defensively we could have done a lot more," Ancelotti said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference.
Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern's 11-year Bundesliga reign by securing the league crown last month, but Ancelotti says that will only boost Bayern's motivation as they chase a seventh European title.
"We are similar clubs because they have a great history and a lot of success," Ancelotti said. "We have to respect our opponents because they did very well and were better than us in the first leg.
"We are very excited because it could be another magical night for us, but there is no optimism. We are aware of the difficulties that we are going to face."
Defender Dani Carvajal, who has already lifted the Champions League trophy five times with Los Blancos, believes the squad are brimming with confidence after going unbeaten through their last 42 games (excluding extra time).
He joked Ancelotti was "getting more and more fearful" each season but praised his coach's role in keeping the players focused on the task at hand.
"There is euphoria because we are having a great year," Carvajal said.
"We are all very excited about the European Cup. We know it in the dressing room. In the street the fans congratulate us and give us a lot of encouragement to dream of winning it again.
"We are two games away from winning the Champions League. Ancelotti has kept our eyes open and we have all added up. That's what counts for us to achieve our objectives."
Man Utd keen to sell Greenwood amid Barcelona interest, claims Getafe president
Manchester United are keen to sell Mason Greenwood in the upcoming transfer window and could field interest from Barcelona, according to Getafe president Angel Torres.
Greenwood joined Getafe on a season-long loan deal in September and has scored eight goals and added six assists in 29 appearances in LaLiga in 2023-24.
Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and was later charged with attempted rape and assault, with all charges against him dropped in February 2023.
United then conducted a six-month internal investigation into his conduct and said they recognised "the difficulties with him recommencing his career" with the club.
In February, speculation that Greenwood could yet return to Old Trafford was heightened when new minority shareholder Jim Ratcliffe said a "fresh decision" would be made on his future at the end of the season.
However, Getafe chief Torres claims the Red Devils are now keen to cash in on a player he hopes to keep at the Estadio Coliseum.
"If it depended on the player, his parents and the club, I think he would continue for another year," Torres said of Greenwood in an interview with RadioMARCA on Tuesday.
"Manchester United's idea is to sell if there is a good offer, we will have to wait. I think he will stay."
Reports had suggested both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona were considering a move for Greenwood, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract with United.
Torres claims Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco have been in touch about the 22-year-old, adding: "No one from Atleti has asked me about Greenwood.
"I spoke with [Atleti president] Miguel Angel [Gil Marin], but about other things. The only one who asked me about the player was Joan Laporta.
"I spoke with him and Deco and they asked me what he was like to get a sense of the player, but first they have to sell to buy, this is the problem with Spanish football."
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