Liverpool0 - 1Crystal Palace

Just days after losing 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League, the Reds fell to another home defeat after failing to make the most of their chances.

Palace opened the scoring through Eberechi Eze in the 14th minute to leave Jurgen Klopp's side with a deficit to overturn.

Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah all spurned chances to find the net, ensuring Palace could celebrate their first head-to-head victory since 2017.

As a result of the narrow loss, Liverpool are now sitting in third place and two points adrift of leaders Manchester City with six matches left to play.

Wasteful Liverpool

After losing a Premier League home game for the first time since October 2022, Liverpool will reflect upon an afternoon where they showcased a lack of cutting-edge in front of goal.

The Merseyside club ended the match with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.87, which represented their highest xG in a Premier League game in which they did not score since the statistic started being recorded in 2010-11.

The figure was also the highest xG total a team had recorded without scoring in a Premier League match since Brighton & Hove Albion faced Norwich City in April 2022.

On that occasion, Brighton also recorded an xG total of 2.87 as they played out a goalless draw in their home meeting with the Canaries.

Defensive concerns

While Liverpool's wastefulness may be making the headlines, they will also be concerned about their recent vulnerability at the opposite end of the pitch.

The Reds have conceded in each of their last nine competitive matches since recording a clean sheet in a 1-0 away win over Nottingham Forest.

They have also failed to record a shutout in any of their last nine home league games, equalling their joint-longest run in the Premier League.

Liverpool have previously gone nine home Premier League home games without a clean sheet in the 1996-97 season and the 1998-99 campaign.

The Reds know they will have to produce a strong defensive display if they are to overturn a three-goal deficit in Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg against Atalanta in Bergamo.