Pundit praises Liverpool sub in Crystal Palace victory

Pundit praises Liverpool sub in Crystal Palace victory Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace: Víctor Munoz and Alexander Isak Drive Reds Forward Liverpool needed a response and, for long spells at Selhurst Park, they looked like a side determined to provide one. After defeats against Arsenal and Fenerbahce, the pressure had begun to gather around Andoni Iraola’s team, the questions arriving with familiar speed and force. By the end of a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, those questions had quietened, replaced by the sight of a team rediscovering its edge and a young winger offering a glimpse of what may lie ahead. The headline names were easy enough to find. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring, Florian Wirtz added a second and Alexander Isak struck late to make sure of the points. Yet the most intriguing contribution came from the bench, where Víctor Munoz entered the game and changed its rhythm down Liverpool’s right. IMAGO | Anfield Index Víctor Munoz changes the mood There was a freshness about Munoz from the moment he appeared. He ran with purpose, demanded the ball and stretched Palace in a way that had previously been missing. Young players often arrive in moments like these with noise and nerves, but Munoz brought clarity. His pace unsettled defenders, his movement opened lanes, and his willingness to attack gave Liverpool an extra layer in the final third. It was that intent which shaped Liverpool’s third goal in the 89th minute. Munoz drove forward on the right and sent the ball across the area, Wirtz showed sharp awareness to cushion it into Isak’s path, and the striker did the rest with the composure of a man who expects to score. It was an excellent team goal, swift, clean and decisive, and it owed much to the substitute who injected life into the move. Alexander Isak keeps Liverpool moving Isak’s finish carried significance beyond the match itself. It was his seventh Premier League goal of the season, leaving him two behind Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. There are times when Isak can drift on the edge of games, but strikers are judged in the currency that matters most, and he keeps paying in full. Liverpool spent £125m to bring him to Anfield, and this was another reminder of the certainty he brings when the chance appears. His goal also completed a victory that had been built with quality before his moment arrived. Mac Allister’s opener, a fine header from Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross in the 40th minute, gave Liverpool control. Wirtz then doubled the lead on the hour after slick approach play involving Ronald Araujo and Bradley Barcola, a move full of ambition and precision. Liverpool answer pressure before the break This mattered. Liverpool had lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the league and then slipped to a 3-2 defeat against Fenerbahce in Europe. Momentum can turn quickly in autumn, confidence with it. Iraola needed a performance with authority and, for most of this contest, he got one. Palace stayed in the game long enough to threaten discomfort and were handed a late consolation by way of a contentious penalty, but the outcome had already been settled. Liverpool were better, sharper and more adventurous. They looked like a side who understood the need to halt a wobble before it became something more troublesome. Player ratings from Selhurst Park Liverpool: Alisson 7/10, Conor Bradley 7/10, Ronald Araujo 7/10, Virgil van Dijk 7/10, Andy Robertson 6/10, Dominik Szoboszlai 8/10, Alexis Mac Allister 8/10, Florian Wirtz 8/10, Bradley Barcola 7/10, Alexander Isak 8/10, Luis Diaz 6/10, Víctor Munoz 8/10. Crystal Palace: Dean Henderson 6/10. Managers: Andoni Iraola 8/10, Pierre Sage 6/10. For Liverpool, the victory was about more than the scoreline. It was about timing, authority and the emergence of Munoz as a genuine attacking option. In a season that will ask hard questions, he supplied one of the most encouraging answers of the afternoon.