Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace: Sadio Mane Double Seals Champions League Qualification

 

There were nerves early on, as Crystal Palace threatened through Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, and top-four rivals Leicester took the lead against Tottenham to knock the Reds down into fifth spot, but Liverpool roared to an imperious victory.

Mane bundled in his first on 36 minutes as Liverpool took a deserved lead after spurning a host of gilt-edged opportunities and added a second 16 minutes from time to wrap up a vital three points for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The only negative from a Liverpool perspective was that Mohamed Salah failed to get on the scoresheet at he missed out on the Golden Boot to Harry Kane, but that did little to subside the carnival atmosphere inside Anfield, which had an emotional end as fan-favourite Georginio Wijnaldum looked to bid the club farewell.

For Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace, there was to be no fairy-tale ending to his four-year stint at the club as he failed to gate-crash his former employers’ top-four hopes in his final game in charge of the Eagles, who ended the campaign in 14th place.