Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

8.02am EST 08:02

31 min Zaha plays a beautiful reverse pass down the left to find van Aanholt in space. His low cross is put behind at the near post by Fabinho. The corner is headed on by Schlupp at the near post and held confidently by Alisson.

8.00am EST 08:00

30 min Robertson’s excellent corner is headed into the ground and wide of the far post by Matip. That was a chance.

7.59am EST 07:59

29 min A dreadful pass across his own area from van Aanholt almost falls for Minamino. Clyne gets in front of him to knock the ball behind for a corner.

Clyne in action with Minamino. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Updated at 8.07am EST

7.59am EST 07:59

28 min Ayew heads straight at Alisson from Milivojevic’s deep free-kick. It wouldn’t have counted though as Ayew was offside.

7.57am EST 07:57

26 min “Bob,” says Mac Millings. “If I may indulge in some sporting crossover, in honour of India’s recent batting effort in Australia, here is my all-time Cricket Collapse XI:

Updated at 7.58am EST

7.55am EST 07:55

25 min Robertson’s brilliant cross towards Firmino is crucially intercepted by Cahill.

7.54am EST 07:54

23 min: What a chance for Palace! Oh dear lord. Fabinho’s poor header is intercepted by Ayew, who is through one on one with Alisson on the right-hand side of the area. He declines to shoot and instead tries to pick out Zaha at the far post – but it’s a dreadful pass, a few yards behind him. Zaha collapses to the floor in frustration.

Updated at 7.55am EST

7.52am EST 07:52

23 min Schlupp’s cutback is dummied extravagantly by Ayew at the near post, but there are no Palace players behind him. Palace have been the better team in the last 10 minutes or so.

Updated at 7.53am EST

7.51am EST 07:51

21 min Palace are having a decent spell here. Clyne’s deep cross is controlled well by Zaha, who picks out Eze on the edge of the box. He teases Henderson but then plays a poor pass.

7.49am EST 07:49

19 min I did Minamino a disservice with the description of his goal. I thought Clyne had tackled him, but in fact Minamino moved the ball away from him very neatly before rifling it past Guaita. That little bit of skill, coupled with the finish, makes it a cracking goal.

Updated at 7.50am EST

7.47am EST 07:47

17 min Alisson comes out of his area to beat Zaha to a loose ball. His clearance goes straight to Milivojevic, who tries to chip him from inside the centre circle. It’s a decent attempet but Alisson has plenty of time to get back and catch the ball.

7.45am EST 07:45

15 min Palace are coming into the game. Zaha looks lively and is pulling out to the left a lot of the time.

Alisson clears the ball in front of Zaha. Photograph: Adam Davy/AP

Updated at 8.05am EST

7.42am EST 07:42

12 min Zaha’s excellent low cross is taken off Ayew’s toes by Fabinho. Fine defending, though I think Zaha was offside in the build up.

7.39am EST 07:39

10 min We’re having technical problems I’m afraid. It’s still 1-0, that much I do know.

7.36am EST 07:36

7 min Zaha tries to run Fabinho, who takes the ball off him with authority. He’s so good one against one.

7.35am EST 07:35

6 min Robertson’s cross grazes the head of Mane and drifts across the area. Liverpool, in the parlance of our time, are bang at it.

7.33am EST 07:33

It’s his first Premier League goal, and he took it beautifully. Alexander-Arnold started the move by floating a ball into Mane in the area. He turned and squared the ball to Minamino, eight yards out. Clyne came across to challenge but the ball rebounded kindly for Minamino, who cracked it across Guaita and into the far corner. That was an emphatic finish.

7.32am EST 07:32

GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Liverpool (Minamino 3)

Takumi Minamino slams Liverpool into the lead!

Minamino scores an early goal for Liverpool. Photograph: Clive Rose/AP Minamino celebrates with Mane. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Updated at 7.43am EST

7.32am EST 07:32

2 min Kouyate’s clearance is charged down by Firmino, whose low cross is cleared without nonsense by Cahill.

7.30am EST 07:30

1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in their black away strip, kick off on a sunny, blustery afternoon at Selhurst Park.

Palace’s Eberechi Eze in action with Liverpool’s Naby Keita. Photograph: Clive Rose/Reuters

Updated at 7.40am EST

7.24am EST 07:24

It’s nearly time for kick off. A win would put Liverpool six points clear at the top, at least until Everton play tonight.

7.20am EST 07:20

“Alright, Rob,” says Adam Griffiths. “I’ve no horse in this race, I’ll be spending the ninety minutes lying on the sofa stuffing mini stollen into my face while keeping an eye on proceedings, but just wanted to say Merry Christmas to you and the readers, and cheers for the top MBMing from you and your colleagues this year (and what a year. Stupid 2020). Fingers crossed for 2021, eh.”

Thanks Adam. A very merry Christmas to you and all the readers. When all this is over, let’s have a celebratory MBM orgy. Entry password: Naylor.

Updated at 7.20am EST

6.58am EST 06:58

“Dearest of Robs, I have convinced my other friend that Liverpool switch off just enough against the non-big sides away from home to make these the dangerous games rather than facing your Chelseas and Citys,” says Ian Copestake. “It is an unconscious falling away, but the first three bad touches they had against Fulham showed what was to come. My hope is that beating Jose M was a turning point and also something he will take credit for.”

Look, the best team lost, get over it.

6.42am EST 06:42

One bit of good news for Liverpool is that there will be no fans at Selhurst Park this afternoon. The 2,000 crowd made such a difference during Palace’s draw with Spurs last Sunday, back in the halcyon days of London being in tier 2.

Fans are seen waiting for the Liverpool team bus outside the ground. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Updated at 7.09am EST

6.34am EST 06:34

Team news: Salah rested

Jordan Ayew replaces the suspended Christian Benteke, one of four changes for Crystal Palace. Liverpool make three changes: Joel Matip returns after a back spasm, and Mo Salah and Curtis Jones are rested.

Crystal Palace (4-4-2) Guaita; Clyne, Kouyate, Cahill, van Aanholt; Schlupp, Milivojevic, McArthur, Eze; Zaha, Ayew.Substitutes: Butland, Ward, Tomkins, Dann, Mitchell, Townsend, McCarthy, Riedewald, Batshuayi.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Keita; Minamino, Firmino, Mane.Substitutes: Adrian, Kelleher, R Williams, Phillips, N Williams, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Salah, Origi.

Referee Jon Moss.

Updated at 6.36am EST

4.25am EST 04:25

Preamble

Hello. In most cases, Covid football has reduced or even obliterated home advantage. Liverpool are one of the exceptions. Twenty-one of their 28 points this season have been won at Anfield: they’ve won seven out of seven, as compared to one in six away from home. Only four teams have picked up fewer points on their travels, and Liverpool’s one win, at Chelsea, was three months ago. Today’s trip to Crystal Palace is their latest chance to sort their away form out.

Styles make fights, and Palace’s strengths – Hodgson, Two Banks of Four, Zaha-led counter-attacks – make them uncomfortable opponents for Liverpool. Most of their recent games have been close, including a nerve-shredding 4-3 at Anfield two years ago, but Liverpool tend to get the job done. They have won the last six games at Selhurst Park, and the last six against Palace anywhere since Christian Benteke won at Anfield in 2017.

That was Liverpool’s last home defeat in the league, a run that shows no sign of ending. Liverpool’s home record means that, if they get anywhere near last season’s away form, we can probably forget about a title race.

Kick off 12.30pm.

Updated at 7.18am EST