Mauricio Pochettino praised match-winner Noni Madueke’s determination to prove his Chelsea worth after he came off the bench to score a late penalty in his side’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Roy Hodgson’s side looked like they had done enough to earn a deserved point as the game ticked into its final moments, until the result turned after a clumsy challenge made by Eberechi Eze, leaving a leg out on the edge of the box for Madueke to tumble over.

A pitch-side VAR review was required but it seemed a straightforward call for referee Michael Salisbury, who awarded a penalty from which the substitute Madueke, who had previously made only seven league appearances under Pochettino, coolly stroked home the winner.

Earlier, Michael Olise had scored a goal worthy of a claiming a draw, lashing home on the half-volley from Jordan Ayew’s pinpoint ball on the stroke of half-time.

Mykhailo Mudryk’s 13th-minute strike, his fourth of the season and second in eight days, had given Chelsea a lead for which they were good value, and the Ukrainian could have extended it had he not shot straight at Dean Henderson from Nicolas Jackson’s clever backheel.

Pochettino’s side looked more dangerous in attack than in recent weeks, finally turning possession into clear chances, and afterwards the manager pointed towards the impact of Madueke in turning frustration at a lack of game time into affirmative action.

“He (Madueke) played free,” said the manager. “He did what we needed in this moment. I liked it because he showed he was upset with me, disappointed with me because he didn’t play too much. (He thought) ‘Now I’m going to show the coach he can trust in me’.

“We are not a charity, we are a football club. We need to perform. We are here to try and help the players to perform.

“Sometimes we need to be tough. We need to show the reality. Sometimes we need to put (the players) in front of the mirror and say ‘come on, that is not the player that is going to perform’.

“We have an amazing group, but they need to realise that to compete at Chelsea is not (the same) as to compete at another club.

“It’s about winning, about lifting trophies and making history. It’s about respecting the history of the club.

“They need to show me that I can trust them. The mentality is really important. You can not only play with you quality. You have to have quality, but if you don’t have the right mentality and approach every single day, it’s difficult to perform.”

Chelsea have now won three in a row in all competitions at home, though that run has been cut with four consecutive defeats on the road.

Victory meant the team climbed back into the top half of the table, however, there remains a 14-point gap to the Champions League places.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson reflected on a game that slipped away from his side after what he deemed a controversial late penalty decision.

“I’ve got to be honest, I have no real interest in discussing referees and VAR,” he said.

“I thought we played very well. It should have got us three points, but it’s got us nothing.

“Am I frightened to death about being three points ahead of the relegation zone? No. What bothers me is 38 games.

“I’m sad at the moment because I think I should be sitting here with at least one point more.”

Chelsea needed an 89th-minute penalty from substitute Noni Madueke to edge past Crystal Palace 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and climb back into the top half of the Premier League table.

It had looked like being another frustrating home outing for Mauricio Pochettino’s side for most of the second half, after Michael Olise had cancelled out Mykhailo Mudryk’s early goal with a brilliant finish on the half-volley on the stroke of half-time.

Nicolas Jackson missed a superb chance to win it, slotting the ball wide after being set up by Conor Gallagher.

But with the game drifting towards what would have been a deserved point for Palace, there was a final twist, Eberechi Eze tripped Madueke as he sought to control the ball on the edge of the box, and the England Under-21 international won the match from the spot with his first league goal of the season.

Chelsea opened the scoring after 13 minutes, and it began with Malo Gusto slipping his man in midfield with a smart shimmy and turn.

Driving over halfway, his pass forward was wayward, but interest in Chelsea’s attack was revived by a critical slip by Nathaniel Clyne whose stumble let the ball run on. That allowed it to reach Christopher Nkunku, who fed the galloping Malo Gusto on the overlap and his centre was gratefully turned home first time by Mudryk.

The Ukraine international had made an electric start and would have made it two shortly afterwards but for a smothering block by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, closing the angle well after Mudryk had been slipped in by a deft Jackson back heel.

There was a fluency about Chelsea that has rarely been seen in recent weeks. Nkunku on his long-awaited first start was at the heart of things. Fresh from his role in the opening goal, he played a wonderful ball in for Jackson, whose low drive was aimed fractionally wide of Henderson’s far post.

The France international might then have had his first Stamford Bridge goal after 25 minutes had he not kicked the turf when clean through on goal, under pressure from defender Chris Richards.

Chelsea were industrious with the ball, racking up 323 passes during the first half and recording 63 per cent possession and – unlike so often this campaign – they had created gilt-edged chances to go with it.

And yet, in the final seconds of the half, a familiar sinking feeling for home supporters. Richards went in strong on Levi Colwill to win the ball in midfield and it broke out wide to Jordan Ayew.

Palace had men in the box and the one picked out by Ayew’s laser-like aim was Olise, who brought it down confidently on his chest, took a momentary glance at Djordje Petrovic and lashed it inside the Chelsea goalkeeper’s near post to make it 1-1.

Palace were without a win in seven games but the goal, though against the run of play, brought belief.

Eze whistled a free–kick past the post as the visitors registered the first chance of the second half, as Roy Hodgson’s side went toe-to-toe with their hosts.

Pochettino left Thiago Silva on the bench for only the second time in the league this season, but called on the 39-year-old just before the hour mark, alongside Romeo Lavia, who finally made his Chelsea debut.

Armando Broja was also sent on as the spectre of another disappointing home result loomed.

Minutes later, their moment looked to have arrived. Moises Caicedo scooped a pass forward to Gallagher who had found space centrally and the captain showed a keen awareness of space to find Jackson running through, but – with only Anderson to beat – he clipped the ball agonisingly wide.

That was followed by a fine, prodded finish from Axel Disasi’s pass that VAR rightly ruled out for offside.

Broja took one down and well drilled into the side netting, after Olise had drawn a smart near-post stop from Petrovic at the other end.

Chelsea thought two more points had slipped away at home. Then with two minutes to go, Madueke went over Eze’s leg, a VAR review yielded a penalty and the substitute picked himself up knock home the winning goal.

What the papers say

Chelsea are looking at a double January raid on Lisbon side Sporting, according to the Evening Standard. Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande, 20, and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 25, are in the Blues’ sights.

Manchester City are in talks with River Plate midfielder Claudio Echeverri. The Times reports City plan to loan the 17-year-old back to the Argentinian side, who have a £21.4million release clause in his contract.

Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah, 21, is catching the eye of several Premier League clubs, reports the Evening Standard. Sunderland are keen to keep the French youngster but Crystal Palace, Fulham and Nottingham Forest are all circling.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is close to making a return to management, according to the Daily Mirror. The former Manchester United manager, 50, is the front runner to take over at Turkish club Besiktas.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Said Benrahma: West Ham’s 28-year-old Algeria winger is interesting Lyon, according to talkSPORT.

Roberto Firmino: Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq could takes the former Liverpool forward, 32, from Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Ahli.

Roy Hodgson revealed he feels “more than satisfied” with what his injury-plagued Crystal Palace side have achieved despite conceding a late equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Brighton.

Substitute Danny Welbeck nodded past home debutant Dean Henderson in the 82nd minute to cancel out Jordan Ayew’s opener and ensure the rivals’ fifth consecutive Premier League meeting at Selhurst Park ended in exactly the same scoreline.

Palace, in 15th and nine points clear of the bottom three, are now winless in seven and now the unfortunate holders of the longest winless streak in the top flight after surpassing Nottingham Forest’s six, and next travel to Stamford Bridge after Christmas.

When asked if he was feeling any extra pressure due to the Eagles’ recent run of results and subsequent slide down the table, Hodgson said: “Well, I suppose that’s football.

“If I suggest that every time a team slides down the table the manager should feel under pressure, then I suppose I should feel under pressure, but I don’t believe that the players can be doing much more than they are doing at the moment, so if that is pressure, I don’t feel it. No, not at all.

“Don’t forget the next game is Chelsea. I mean, the bottom line is we have to accept that we know what we’re capable of. We also know that even if we bring the absolute maximum of what we’re capable of, if you play a Liverpool, Man City and Brighton it’s going to be a tough ask.

“If after those three performances you can sit here as I am doing tonight and be more than satisfied with what the team has achieved, maybe that counts more than just saying ‘well, you need the three points’ because who doesn’t need the three points? That’s the bottom line.”

It was a mistake by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, giving the ball away to Michael Olise, that ultimately allowed the hosts to work the ball to Ayew for the opener on the stroke of half-time.

Palace were without the Ghana international for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City after picking up a pair of bookings against Liverpool and sitting on four yellows, and was swapped in the second half for Eberechi Eze, returning from injury but, Hodgson admitted, “not really as ready as we would like.”

Roberto de Zerbi also played Welbeck longer than he expected, breaking with the original plan for him to play closer to 23 minutes rather than a full half.

He said: “I can say we lost two points. Yes, if you watched the game we lost two points but to win the game we can’t make these mistakes. In the first half we played well, but without the right energy to score and we shouldn’t have conceded the goal.

“Because we considered it another bad goal, and we didn’t score, we didn’t have too many chances, just two big chances, but we are playing with many young players and the young players need time to improve, to progress.

“The policy of Brighton is to play with many young players and we have to accept and we have to be happy, to be ready to play, to work with these young players.”

Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma left Selhurst Park on crutches after injuring his ankle.

Danny Welbeck headed home late in the second half to earn Brighton a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

A lapse by Seagulls goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen led to Jordan Ayew’s nodded opener just before the whistle blew to end an uneventful first half.

Eberechi Eze returned from injury as a second-half substitute and had a few chances to double his side’s advantage, but it was the visitors who dominated late on.

The result, which sees Palace still in search of a second league victory at home, also marked the fifth consecutive Premier League meeting the rivals have drawn 1-1 at Selhurst Park.

There was little excitement to boast in the opening stages, just a Pascal Gross effort dragged wide and a cross from Ayew – back in the starting XI for the first time since his controversial and costly sending-off against Liverpool – was easily plucked out of the air by Verbruggen as the clock ticked past 10 minutes.

Dean Henderson, making his home debut and second start for Palace in place of the injured Sam Johnstone, kept out Simon Adingra, Carlos Baleba’s attempt from the rebound sailing wide before the action largely returned to midfield, save a few runs into the rivals’ respective penalty areas calmly managed by both sides.

Kaoru Mitoma occasionally flashed down the left flank and Jean-Philippe Mateta fired straight at Verbruggen from Tyrick Mitchell’s cross and the hosts had a pair of set pieces, coming closest with the second when Michael Olise’s corner deflected off Ayew inside the six-yard box and into Verbruggen’s arms.

Billy Gilmour and Baleba did well to defend another scramble inside the 18-yard box where Chris Richards, Mateta and Olise all threatened, Jefferson Lerma trying next but unable to put a finishing touch on Olise’s feed, while Gross saw a shot saved.

Just as a goalless first half had begun to feel an inescapable act, Verbruggen, under pressure from Richards, gave the ball away as he tried to loft a pass but instead gifted an opportunity to Olise, who nodded across to Will Hughes, making his 100th Premier League start.

Hughes sent the ball back in the direction of Olise, who finely directed a cross towards the far post for Ayew to head home moments before the half-time whistle blew.

There was an uptick in pace and two second-half substitutions for Roberto De Zerbi, including Welbeck, after the restart, when Joao Pedro skied an effort and Lewis Dunk had a good chance to level soon after, rising highest to connect with Gross’ free-kick, but only able to direct his header inches wide of the far post.

A diving Henderson was able to push Gilmour’s attempt at squaring things up through a crowd, while Jack Hinshelwood was left disappointed after connecting with Gross’ cross but sending it well over the crossbar.

Hodgson introduced Eze who should have doubled his side’s lead but was hesitant and instead denied by Jan Paul van Hecke’s sliding tackle before sending another effort wide.

The Eagles desperately wanted three points but Brighton were in the driver’s seat in the closing stages, and their composure finally paid off when Welbeck beat Richards in an aerial battle and nodded into the top right corner, just evading Henderson’s fingertips.

There were chances for the Seagulls to walk away with all three points, but the hosts – including Henderson, literally, in one instance – clung on for the draw.

Crystal Palace captain Joel Ward is set for a spell on the sidelines but the defender’s absence has been offset by the imminent return of Ebere Eze.

Ward was forced off after little more than half-an-hour of the Eagles’ 2-2 draw against Manchester City and must be replaced for Thursday’s home Premier League clash against Brighton.

Boss Roy Hodgson did not offer details but told a press conference: “Joel Ward, as I think everyone knows, picked up an injury, unfortunately, last weekend. He’s had a scan, so we will be missing him for a while. So that is a new injury concern.”

Eighteen-year-old David Ozoh impressed off the bench and could get the chance to continue in the side, while Eze, who ended a three-week lay off with an 89th-minute cameo against City, is pushing to reclaim his place in the starting XI.

“The ones who have been injured are making good progress. Ebere Eze is coming on very well. He is on the cusp, really, and it’s a decision we will have to make over the course of the next few hours (on Wednesday).

“We have had a real (fitness) boost over the last couple of weeks with the emergence of a couple of younger players.

“When given the chance to get on the field, which has happened with the amount of injuries, they have also given us great hope and belief that the future is going to be bright for the club and the team.

“But of course, the immediate future is most concerning and tomorrow night we want to get back to winning ways if we can.”

Palace have not won since November 4, taking just two points from the last 18 on offer, but goalkeeper Dean Henderson was thrilled to help bank a point against City, playing his part with a series of important saves.

Now the 26-year-old is eager to deliver three points when he lines up in front of the home fans at Selhurst Park for the first time.

“It’s been a long year for me, so I’m just delighted to put on the Palace colours. Thanks to all the fans for supporting me,” he told the club’s official website.

“There’s one place to get sharp and that’s in the Etihad goalmouth! It’s nice to get a few saves in there. Now we’re at home. We’ve got to attack the game and have a right go at them (Brighton).

“Obviously, we know they’re a good team, but it’s a derby and the lads will be right up for it. Hopefully the atmosphere can pull us through. We’ve had some tough results, but we’ve just got to keep going and keep fighting for each other.”

What the papers say

Crystal Palace are interested in a move for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah this January, with the 24-year-old yet to play under Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, the Daily Express reports. There is also reportedly interest from Serie A teams and Bayern Munich.

The Daily Mail reports Manchester United are willing to sell Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Casemiro after their director of football John Murtough spent time in Saudi Arabia this month.

However, the Manchester Evening News says Varane is hoping that the club will trigger their one-year contract extension option for him.

Wolves are reportedly looking to sign Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi from Viktoria Plzen for around £7million, despite reportedly being set to report losses of £65million.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Ian Maatsen: Chelsea are reportedly willing to sell the 21-year-old Dutch defender in January, with Manchester City, West Ham, Roma and Napoli among clubs interested in him, 90min says.

Clement Lenglet: The Aston Villa defender’s loan deal from Barcelona could be terminated by the Spanish club as they look to sell the 28-year-old, Football Insider reports.

Rico Lewis admitted he could not fully savour his first Premier League goal after the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace he said had left Manchester City “very disappointed”.

The 19-year-old’s milestone moment came in the 54th minute at the Etihad Stadium as his finish put City 2-0 up, adding to Jack Grealish’s first-half strike.

At that point the hosts had dominated possession and appeared to be cruising to victory, but they ended up with only a point after Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled a 76th-minute goal back for Palace and Michael Olise then equalised with a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Lewis told City’s official website: “We are very disappointed with the result, it’s unfortunate with the performance we put in.

“We were so good in terms of controlling the game and scoring two goals, but at the end of the day we’ve not got the result we came for. The people in that dressing room want to win every single game.

“It’s football and stuff can happen that you don’t expect, and that’s what happened.”

On his goal, he said: “It was a good feeling in the moment. But as soon as we were on to the next action in the game, it’s kind of forgotten about, and now I can’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked to.

“It’s a positive in a negative, at the end of the day we wanted the result and we’ve not got it.”

It was a fifth time in six Premier League outings that City, fourth in the table, have dropped points.

Pep Guardiola’s treble-winners are next in action at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, playing Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the semis on Tuesday, with the final and third-place play-off then taking place on Friday.

Lewis said: “It’s another challenge, another game for us to react and show how good we are and that’s the good thing about football, there’s always another game.

“We need to show and prove to everyone, and more importantly to ourselves, that we can get the results we deserve.”

As well as conceding twice, a setback for Palace prior to their fightback was skipper Joel Ward having to come off in the first half with a hamstring problem, adding to an already lengthy injury list.

Ward was replaced by David Ozoh, the 18-year-old midfielder who in January became Palace’s youngest ever Premier League player.

He told the Eagles’ official website: “It was good to come on and play in a game like this. To be trusted by the manager (Roy Hodgson) is a great feeling – I’m really happy.

“They’re all tough games, but I just try my best every time I get on the pitch. I just want to deliver for everyone.

“I’ve been here since I was 10. To be able to celebrate with the fans was great. It was the best feeling ever. Hopefully there’ll be more to celebrate like that.”

Hodgson’s men are 15th, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City did not deserve to win after a late fightback from Crystal Palace saw them held to a 2-2 draw in a dramatic finale at the Etihad Stadium.

City dominated possession and looked to be cruising at 2-0 up following goals from Jack Grealish in the first half and Rico Lewis nine minutes into the second.

But Palace hit back with a 76th-minute Jean-Philippe Mateta goal before Michael Olise equalised in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a penalty awarded after Phil Foden caught Mateta in the box.

Dropping points for the fifth time in six Premier League matches, in their last outing before heading to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup, leaves the champions in fourth place, three points behind leaders Liverpool, who host Manchester United on Sunday.

Boss Guardiola, whose side had drawn 4-4 with Chelsea, 1-1 with Liverpool and 3-3 with Tottenham and lost 1-0 to Aston Villa prior to last Sunday’s 2-1 win at Luton, said: “It is not bad luck, it was deserved, we gave away two points.

“When you give this penalty, you deserve it. You see the chances we created, the chances we concede, it’s quite similar, except the Chelsea game, all this season. But we are not able to close the game.

“There was a chance (for Palace) in the first half…but until the (Mateta) goal, they didn’t do anything.

“So the team was really, really good. But at the end, when you give Crystal Palace this penalty, you don’t deserve it. It’s like the penalty for Chelsea (Cole Palmer’s late equaliser).

“The games against Spurs, Liverpool, today, were excellent, but we were not able to win the game. What has happened is because we are not consistent enough to close the games, and many reasons.”

Guardiola denied City were not playing with the same intensity for the final 20 minutes, before adding: “18-yard box, you have to be careful, and we were not. We don’t deserve to win.”

Treble-winners City, who were once again without injured forward Erling Haaland, are now set to play Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds in the Club World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, with the final taking lace on Friday.

Guardiola said: “Six, seven-hour flight with the result, just three days to recover, three days for a potential final – it is what it is. Now we are down and we lift as quick as possible and go to compete there.”

Manchester City dropped points once again as a stoppage-time Michael Olise penalty saw the Premier League champions held 2-2 by Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.

City had dominated possession and appeared in complete control after Jack Grealish put them ahead in the 24th minute and Rico Lewis added a 54th-minute finish.

But Palace fought back to reduce the deficit via Jean-Philippe Mateta with just under a quarter of hour of normal time to go, and Olise subsequently converted from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time to secure a point for the visitors.

It is the fifth time in six league games that Pep Guardiola’s men have dropped points, having also drawn with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham and lost to Aston Villa prior to last Sunday’s 2-1 win at Luton.

In what was their last match before heading to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup, the result leaves them fourth in the table, three points behind leaders Liverpool, who host Manchester United on Sunday.

Mohamed Salah believes Liverpool possess a similar mentality to their last title-winning side after his 200th goal for the Reds sparked a 2-1 comeback over 10-man Crystal Palace.

Jurgen Klopp’s men failed to register a shot on target in the first half at Selhurst Park, where the hosts were hoping to bounce back from a disappointing midweek defeat to Bournemouth after which boss Roy Hodgson pleaded for disillusioned fans not to abandon ship.

The crowd were boosted by the goalless first half and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s spot kick to open the scoring after the break, but both mood and momentum took a hit when Jordan Ayew was sent off for a second yellow in the 75th minute and strikes from Salah and Harvey Elliott denied them any points.

Salah, who became just the fifth player to reach a double-century of goals for Liverpool with his 150th Premier League goal, told TNT: “I think the most important thing is that we won the game. It was really tough. When we win the game and I score goals it’s a great feeling. I’m happy for the record and for the team to win the game.

“I see the mentality. Just keep fighting until the end. We did it this game, last game and the game before. It’s something positive we can take from that. Of course we have like a new team, six or seven new players in the starting line. We just need to give them our advice.

“They are learning a lot and they are really nice guys. There are similarities from 2019, but of course the other guys achieve a lot and we have to give them credit. But I am sure we can do something special this year.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who characterised the Reds’ first 75 minutes as “horrendous”, revealed staff had been travelling with a shirt to mark the milestone moment for the past two weeks, and was relieved to finally hand it to the 31-year-old in the visitors’ dressing room at Selhurst Park.

He said: “That’s pretty much the best moment to score it to be 100 per cent honest. It’s an incredible number for a super, super special player. I don’t know how often he’s saved us with a goal he scored in the right moment. It was a pretty loud reception in the dressing room when I gave him the shirt.

“Now that’s off [his] shoulders because when you have 199 it is probably different to 198, so now we can go for the next 100.”

The mood was decidedly different in the Palace dressing room.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson said Ayew’s sending off was unfair and the player was “upset and disappointed”.

Add new injuries to forward Odsonne Edouard (knee), goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (calf) and midfielder Jefferson Lerma (hamstring) alongside Ayew’s suspension and Palace – already missing influential players including Eberechi Eze and Tyrick Mitchell – are facing a fitness crisis ahead of their trip to Manchester City.

Though Hodgson opened his press conference asking journalists not to characterise his mood, he later conceded: “If you want to describe my mood as disillusioned you’ve probably chosen the right word.”

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.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not planning to buy a centre-back to cover Joel Matip’s expected absence for the rest of the season but admits the nature of the Premier League means all clubs are “only two injuries away from a real problem”.

Matip’s anterior cruciate ligament injury means Klopp now has five senior players unavailable – Diogo Jota, Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic – with midfielder Alexis Mac Allister doubtful for the weekend trip to Crystal Palace after sustaining a problem in the midweek win over Sheffield United.

In central defence he has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate – who has had two spells on the sidelines already this season – Joe Gomez and 20-year-old Jarell Quansah and he believes that will be enough to sustain them providing there are no further setbacks.

Klopp said rival clubs would not be leaving a top-class centre-back “under the Christmas tree for us” so he would likely manage with what he has.

“Everyone talks about us needing another player but they all cost money and they must be the right player,” said Klopp.

“You tell me a club who wants to sell a top centre-half. Not a centre-half but a top centre-half.

“For four or five days we’ve known Joel will be out for a long time and that’s really bad for us but we still have four centre-halves and that’s absolutely alright.

“If we had a fifth centre-half in beforehand it is a completely different team dynamic: when one is not involved, we don’t see steps with him, so it was like it was and it was perfect.

“Is it now perfect? I would say it is as long as we can go with those four, yes. If not then it would be a bit more tricky with the amount of games coming up.

“But it was never wonderland where you bring in a world-class centre-half until the other one is fit again.

“As long as other clubs don’t put them under the Christmas tree for us and say ‘Take it as long as you need it’ I don’t think so (it is likely to buy a player) to be honest.”

No timescale has been put on Matip’s return but with his contract due to expire in the summer, Klopp expects the club to look after the 32-year-old and offer a new deal.

“I would say so but it’s not my decision in the end,” he added.

“I am pretty sure the club will show their class and am pretty sure the club told Joel already that whatever happens as long as he is injured everything is fine.”

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s return to training ahead of schedule after a hamstring injury – he was not expected back until the visit of Manchester United next weekend – gives him a chance of playing at Selhurst Park and would be timely for a defence now missing 50 percent of its first-choice players with Robertson’s dislocated shoulder sidelining him since October.

With the changes which have taken place in the backline, the return to form of captain Van Dijk is even more important.

“It always was and always will be. Virg is the best defender in the world. Did he have lesser good spells? Yes. If you showed me one who never had I’d be really happy to meet him,” said Klopp.

“When we look in the back in the past (we think) Rio Ferdinand, Jaap Stam, Sami Hyypia were good all the time and always perfect. No-one was and no-one will be. Virg in this shape is super-important.”

Roy Hodgson pleaded for Crystal Palace supporters to stay onside after a 2-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth ended in a chorus of boos and an object being launched by a disgruntled fan in the boss’ direction.

Headers in each half from Marcos Senesi and Kieffer Moore extended the Cherries’ unbeaten Premier League run to four matches, while Palace remain in search of just their second home victory this season after a promising start to the campaign.

Palace, who dropped to 14th place with the loss, were hoping to pick up points ahead of a difficult run of fixtures, beginning with Liverpool on Saturday followed by a trip to Manchester City before meetings with Brighton and Chelsea.

Hodgson said he was unaware of being targeted by the projectile until after the fact, joking: “So you mean to say there was a fan out there who doesn’t like me? That will definitely stop me sleeping.”

The boyhood Palace fan also addressed earlier comments made to broadcaster Amazon Prime Video, in which he had suggested Eagles supporters might be “spoiled” by positive results in recent years.

He explained: “The fact is if I said that in the spur of the moment, to some extent there’s truth in it, yes.

“I mean we’ve punched above our weight for a number of years now. We’ve kept this team in the league for a number of years, but the fact is we are still in a situation where every game for us has got to be a fight. Every game for us has got to be street fighting.

“We need the fans of Crystal Palace as we know them, because without them it will become really, really hard for us, because the players need them, so I suppose my point, if I’m making a point at all, is don’t desert us because it’s a bad moment.

“We’re as sad as you are. We aren’t giving you what you want. If I say you’ve been spoiled, well, that’s pretty harsh. I mean, what is spoiled?

“But for me you have to remember that my relationship with the club is basically a fourth division club, a third division club, a Championship club. The first division of the football league when I was growing up was beyond my wildest dreams.

“Now it’s not. Now I think we are a bona-fide Premier League team. I think we’ve earned that right.”

Substitute Kieffer Moore’s second-half stoppage-time header sealed a 2-0 victory for surging Bournemouth over a frustrated Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Marcos Senesi put the Cherries ahead in the 25th minute with a nodded effort of his own in a first half that saw Tyrick Mitchell forced off in another worrying scene for the injury-plagued hosts.

Jefferson Lerma came closest for the Eagles when he hit the upright early in the second half, but his side remain in search of just their second Premier League victory at home.

Moore, who was introduced in the 88th minute, buried any hope of splitting the points in south London and ensured his side made it 13 points from their last six league games ahead of Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford.

Palace’s first chance came when Michael Olise floated in an early free-kick from near the left touchline, where Jordan Ayew was only able to head a weak effort into the arms of Bournemouth keeper Neto.

He came closer with his second attempt, a strike from inside the penalty area that Neto was able to palm over the crossbar, before the visitors got their first break of the period, with both Adam Smith and Antoine Semenyo calling Sam Johnstone into action.

Flurries of activity in favour of the hosts ended without anything to show and the pace had slowed by midway through the half, but the visitors were ahead after 25 minutes when Luis Sinisterra rose highest to meet Ryan Christie’s corner, flicking it on to Senesi to finish.

Ayew saw another effort saved while a well-timed sliding Illia Zabarnyi tackle denied Odsonne Edouard an angle on the rebound, and soon came another worrying scene for Roy Hodgson when Mitchell was forced off and replaced by Nathaniel Clyne.

Justin Kluivert fired an effort that Johnstone saved, and it was the Cherries who remained on the front foot until half-time, when boos rang out as Palace entered the tunnel.

The crowd was encouraged when Lerma rifled an effort off the right post to start the second half, a fleeting flash of excitement, but soon the hosts were back looking for a breakthrough that rarely looked close to coming as the hour mark approached.

Lerma tried again with a volley over the crossbar before Hodgson made a double change, bringing Naouirou Ahamada on for captain Joel Ward, who on Wednesday night surpassed Wilfried Zaha for the most Premier League appearances in Palace history, and Will Hughes for Jeffrey Schlupp.

But every time they looked to test the visitors the Cherries had an answer, and, though the crowd had slowly come back into the contest, the chorus of boos loudly reprieved when Moore nodded into the bottom right to ensure Bournemouth walked away winners.