Sadio Mane wraps up business for Liverpool against Palace after Mohamed Salah's controversial penalty

Not every game this season will be a 4-0 rout for Liverpool, but then not every game is as easy as West Ham at home. Here at Selhurst Park they played a completely different match, against unrecognisable opponents, and did not produce a nearly as many moments to lift neutrals out of their seats. But they still came away with just as many points.

This 2-0 win was a testament to Liverpool’s patience, maturity and clinical edge when it mattered. They stood up to Palace’s thumping physicality, worked hard to get through their packed ranks, and took their two best chances to win the game. They needed some luck to break through when they did, as seen when Michael Oliver awarded a penalty after an innocuous tangle between Mamadou Sakho and Mohamed Salah. But they took advantage, James Milner tucking away the penalty, and then they used their pace on the break after that.

Palace had come with their own ambitions to play on the break, but Liverpool were simply better at this than they were. Because having one top-class forward is nice, but having three is better. Salah geot Aaron Wan-Bissaka sent off in the second half before Sadio Mane tucked in the stoppage-time second. Even though that goal came after a long push for a Palace equaliser, it did not feel unsurprising. Liverpool had got the game where they wanted it, and no-one is as good as them at ripping into that space.

But none of this means that Palace did too much wrong. They threatened in glimpses in the first half, back when Liverpool had to come at them. Any team with a decent defence and Wilfried Zaha will always stand a chance. Palace gave this game and this opponent a far better shot than many of their peers will do this year.

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And as Roy Hodgson pointed out, things could have gone very differently were it not for that penalty decision on Salah. Because up until its final seconds, the first half was perfectly balanced. Liverpool and Palace came here with very different plans but that stylistic clash, perpetual motion up against the coiled spring, made this the game it was. Of course Liverpool dominated the ball but Palace were happy to let them, protecting each other in their 4-4-2, confident Liverpool could not get through them, or around the back.

Salah lifted over the bar from a brilliant Keita pass, but Palace had it right, at least for 45 minutes. Roy Hodgson and his football were not the right fit for Liverpool eight years ago but they are perfect for Crystal Palace, now.

He has built a team that makes the most of its players, that feeds off the support of its home crowd and can cause anyone problems even feeding off scraps of possession. It only takes one touch from Wilfried Zaha to spark enough noise to make it sound as if Palace are on top, even if they have not touched the ball for five minutes. When Andros Townsend hit the bar from distance, and Zaha’s follow up was blocked, it felt like they could surprise Liverpool.

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Liverpool wanted to play their football but it is testament to Palace’s doggedness that they were dragged into a scrap. When Zaha, Palace’s best player by miles, works as hard as this, chasing Salah back towards half-way, there is no excuse for anyone else to do any less. And so the percussive tackles started to thump. Aaron Wan-Bissaka on Sadio Mane, James Milner on Zaha, Patrick van Aanholt back on Milner.

But that physicality eventually undermined Palace and all their hard work. When Firmino found Salah in the added time of first half, Sakho got just too tight. His arms were around Salah, his feet were too near, and so Salah went down, even if he did look sheepishly apologetic about it. Milner tucked away the penalty.

You can argue forever about whether it was a penalty but there was no disputing the fact that it changed the game. The second half was a very different place from the first. Less pace, less tension, less aggression, less of a sense that both sides were still throwing everything into a game that was still there to be won.

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Liverpool being 1-0 up meant they did not have to throw men forward, not in the same way. Palace had less space and were limited to half chances, like a chipped Benteke shot into the back of the stand. So Palace had to gamble more – and soon enough it cost them. Firmino played in Salah and all that Wan-Bissaka could do was trip him from behind, accept the red card and jog off to his standing ovation.

From there Palace continued to push, even with 10 men, throwing on new boys Alexander Sorloth and May Meyer. But in truth they never looked like scoring and with so many men pushed up, it was no surprise when another Liverpool break down the middle killed the game. Palace’s corner was cleared, Salah broke away and found Mane inside his own half. Van Aanholt tried to do what Wan-Bissaka did to Salah but was not quick enough. Mane stayed on his feet, swerved past Hennessey and tucked the ball in. Liverpool had to wait and fight for that second goal, but it was all that they deserved.