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

9.25am EST 09:25

Here’s Jordan Henderson “I thought we were ruthless today. We were a little bit sloppy at times but overall we’re delighted with the result and the performance. In certain ways [it was our best performance of the season]. We don’t just look at the scoreline; I thought midweek we were very good. We need to keep the momentum going over Christmas. What was the best goal? Mo, the last one. Was it the last one? Yeah, that one. They were all good finishes.”

Updated at 9.25am EST

9.19am EST 09:19

Full time: Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool

Peep peep peep peep peep peep peep! Liverpool extend their lead at the top of the table with a display of leadpipe cruelty at Selhurst Park. Vicente Guaita did not make a single save, such was the devastating quality of Liverpool’s finishing. Six of the seven goals were bona fide beauties. Palace, believe it or not, were the better team for much of the first half, but Liverpool took them apart on the break and then did as they pleased in the second half. It was pretty awesome.

Salah passes his shirt to Van Aanholt after the match. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Reuters

Updated at 9.26am EST

9.17am EST 09:17

90+1 min “The header against Italy was surely Le Tissier’s Paltrow moment,” says Niall Mullen.

Nah, he was done by then: 1993-95 was his peak.

9.15am EST 09:15

89 min I was going to say Liverpool are back until I remembered they were top of the league before this game. But as I said earlier, this feels like the day they stopped playing silly buggers away from home and started to run away with the league.

9.14am EST 09:14

88 min I’m struggling to think of a game in which one side has scored so many brilliant goals. This is one of my favourites, but I think Liverpool have topped it today.

9.13am EST 09:13

87 min This would be Liverpool’s biggest ever away defeat in top-flight football. Sadio Mane still has a face like thunder, his brain calculating all those Expected Goals that got away when he was substituted.

Updated at 9.14am EST

9.12am EST 09:12

86 min “Careers can hinge on sliding-doors moments,” says Matt Dony. “I always remember Downing narrowly missing a 30-yard screamer in (I think) his first league start for Liverpool against Southampton. It might even have hit the post. Had that gone in, would it have affected his confidence level, and therefore his all-round play? Would it have been a huge boost? Would that have been the stepping stone he needed to dominate the left wing for the next few seasons? Ok, probably not, but we’ll never know.”

Le Tissier with England is a great example of that. He almost scored an uber-Le Tissier goal in the first few minutes of his first start against Romania. But he didn’t, and that was that.

9.12am EST 09:12

Salah received the ball on the right edge of the area, cut inside van Aanholt curled a booming shot into the far top corner. It’s yet another classic goal.

9.11am EST 09:11

GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-7 Liverpool (Salah 84)

This is officially preposterous.

Mo Salah scores his 2nd and Liverpool’s 7th goal. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Salah celebrates by kissing the floor. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Updated at 9.44am EST

9.09am EST 09:09

82 min Ayew almost has a chance to get one back (!) but he can’t control a loose ball in the area.

9.09am EST 09:09

82 min “Dear Rob,” says Colum Fordham. “Are we seeing a Firmino renaissance? Back amongst the goals after a mini-drought. His second, clipped over the keeper, is a sign of a man back in form. Could you wish my Liverpudlian and Fellow Liverpool supporting friend Andy Code a very happy Christmas from distant Naples? This performance seems like the perfect Xmas present.”

Happy Christmas! And yes, I think so – there has been a familiar swagger to his play today, not just the two finishes.

9.08am EST 09:08

GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-6 Liverpool (Salah 81)

It’s even more absurd now! Alexander-Arnold’s deep corner is headed down by Matip and headed in from close range by Salah.

Salah scores his team’s sixth goal. Photograph: Clive Rose/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 9.17am EST

9.06am EST 09:06

80 min Liverpool are passing the clock down. The scoreline is absurd, really; I don’t think Guaita has made a save all day.

9.05am EST 09:05

78 min “Speaking of Stewart Downing and great careers,” begins John Kim. “How is it that Downing left Villa for £5m more than Ashley Young during the same transfer window?”

I think Young only had a year left on his contract.

9.04am EST 09:04

77 min If you would like to buy some money, you can still get Liverpool at 5/4 to win the Premier League. I’m feeling quite smug after my oft-ridiculed prediction that they’ll win by 10+ points.

9.02am EST 09:02

75 min And Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Roberto Firmino, who made one and scored two delicious goals.

9.01am EST 09:01

74 min Batshuayi’s cross is volleyed over from a tight angle by Zaha. Doesn’t matter: Batshuayi was offside. And it’s 5-0.

9.00am EST 09:00

73 min “Why is Salah on?” says Tom Barneby. “The game was won. Take Mane off for Divock or Ox so they can get fitness and confidence. Get Fabinho off too – he’s our most important player now.”

Not a clue. This is the one thing I don’t understand about managers (not just Klopp) when they moan about injuries.

Updated at 9.00am EST

8.58am EST 08:58

72 min “Of the Carroll, Downing and Henderson trio, isn’t it at least somewhat surprising that it’s the latter who’s had a great career at LFC?” says Phil Podolsky. “Downing looked a bit of a player at times, Carroll was the absolute unit, and yet it’s the quiet one who ended up becoming a club legend. Hope for us introverts etc.”

You’ve missed out Charlie Adam again.

8.56am EST 08:56

70 min A substitution apiece: Jones for Wijnaldum, Batshuayi for Eze.

8.56am EST 08:56

It was another superb counter-attack from a Palace corner. Alexander-Arnold, on the edge of his own area, shaped a lovely long pass to Salah on the right. He cut infield and threaded an angled pass through to Firmino on the edge of the area. Firmino took the ball away from McArthur with his first touch and lifted it over Guaita from a tight angle with his second. Another lovely goal.

Updated at 8.59am EST

8.55am EST 08:55

GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-5 Liverpool (Firmino 68)

Roberto Firmino gets his second!

Firmino gets his second and Liverpool’s fifth goal by chipping over Guaita. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated at 9.32am EST

8.50am EST 08:50

63 min A quick-witted header from Zaha finds van Aanholt, who rattles the bouncing ball wide of the near post from the edge of the area.

8.50am EST 08:50

63 min James Tomkins comes on for Palace in place of Cheikhou Kouyate.

8.48am EST 08:48

61 min Palace would call it a day now if they could. Liverpool are probably having their best spell of the game, which sounds absurd given the scoreline, and look hungry for more goals.

8.47am EST 08:47

60 min Minamino misses a terrific chance. He took Keita’s pass beautifully in his stride, pushing it away from Cahill in the process, but slid a low shot just wide from 10 yards.

8.46am EST 08:46

59 min “Not only is Fabinho the best centre-back available to Liverpool just now, he’s the best centre-back in the country – so is this his position?” says Gary Naylor. “Everyone talks about how big an adjustment Premier League football represents, yet relatively few players change their position (which may date back to schoolboy matches). I know Steven Gerrard and Gareth Bale started out as full-backs and Cheik Kouyate was a midfielder (not a good example today), but it’s surely the case that there must be more.”

Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger used to remould players all the time: Lauren, Beckham, Neville, Irwin, Parlour, Wiltord, Ljungberg, Solskjaer, Scholes, to name a few. Fabinho has been brilliant but I think it’s too early to call him the best in the league. It was his mistake today, for example, that gave Palace their best chance.

Updated at 8.46am EST

8.44am EST 08:44

57 min Sadio Mane is replaced by Mo Salah. Mane is very, very, very pissed off: he’s gesticulating in all directions. Mane coming off makes sense; Salah coming on is completely beyond me.

8.43am EST 08:43

56 min Mane drives just wide after another excellent cutback from Robertson. It took a slight touch off a defender, though I’m not sure it was going in anyway.

8.42am EST 08:42

56 min Mo Salah is about to come on. I don’t understand that at all.

8.40am EST 08:40

54 min Liverpool don’t play again until their defeat at home to Sam Allardyce a week tomorrow, but this is still a good chance for Jurgen Klopp to rest three of his players for the last half hour or so.

8.40am EST 08:40

The scoreline is a travesty but the quality of the goals has been spectacular. Liverpool kept possession for a while on the left before Mane found Alexander-Arnold on the right side of the box. He turned and carefully teed up Henderson to whip a sweet first-time shot into the far corner from 22 yards. Guaita had no chance.

Updated at 8.40am EST

8.38am EST 08:38

GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-4 Liverpool (Henderson 52)

Four goals, four beauties.

Henderson scores Liverpool’s fourth goal. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Updated at 8.42am EST

8.37am EST 08:37

50 min Liverpool are playing with Firmino on the right and Mane as centre-forward. I think they made that switch towards the end of the first half, but I was too distracted by the brilliant goals to consciously recognise it.

Updated at 8.37am EST

8.32am EST 08:32

“The difference between Ayew bumbling Palace’s chance and the quick thinking & impeccable two-touch finishing from Liverpool’s front three has been enormous,” says Bobby Moore. “Three beautifully taken goals. I’d also like to echo Adam Griffiths’ warm wishes and thank you and the MBM crew for your continued insight, wit, and humour. All the best!”

Cheers Bobby!

8.31am EST 08:31

“Three-nil up at Selhurst Park?” weeps Matt Dony. “No one’s seen Dwight Gayle, have they?”

Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool | Premier League match report

8.21am EST 08:21

I can’t get enough of that third goal. All three were terrific but this was easily the best. The four key touches – Firmino’s pass at the start, then Robertson’s pass, Firmino’s control and finish – were immaculate.

8.18am EST 08:18

Half time: Crystal Palace 0-3 Liverpool

Peep peep! “This has been a ludicrous half,” says my colleague Gregg Bakowski. “It’s like Klopp has tried to play like Spurs to wind Mourinho up.”

Liverpool had three shots on target and score three goals of increasing brilliance. They are going six points clear, and that exciting title race we were promised is fighting for its life.

8.17am EST 08:17

45+2 min Alexander-Arnold whips the free-kick over the bar.

Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool shoots over. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Updated at 8.39am EST

8.16am EST 08:16

45+1 min Clyne is booked for pulling back Minamino in the D. Minamino was offside, but VAR can’t adjudicate on such matters, and this is a great chance for Liverpool to go 4-0 up.

8.16am EST 08:16

That was glorious football. Firmino, deep in his own half, waved an insouciant pass out to Robertson with the outside of his right foot and set off. Robertson moved into space, waited for support and picked out Firmino just inside the area. He took the ball beautifully in his stride and flicked it nonchalantly past Guaita. A quite gorgeous goal.

Updated at 8.20am EST

8.14am EST 08:14

GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-3 Liverpool (Firmino 44)

Oh my, this is sheer delightful football!

Firmino makes it look easy with Liverpool’s third goal. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images Firmino celebrates with a high kick. Photograph: Adam Davy/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 8.45am EST

8.14am EST 08:14

43 min van Aanholt and Alexander-Arnold go head to head over something. Alexander-Arnold kicked a dead ball in van Aanholt’s direction, though I’m not sure why he was so annoyed.

8.13am EST 08:13

41 min Jurgen Klopp is repeatedly shouting “Why would you do that?” at somebody on the field, presumably the referee. He’s been in a funny mood all season, but I suspect he’ll be cheerier after Christmas as Liverpool run away with the league.

8.10am EST 08:10

40 min Zaha sprays a drive wide of the near post from a tight angle.

8.09am EST 08:09

38 min I’m not saying the best team are losing, but the scoreline is harsh on Palace. Liverpool have been devastatingly efficient.

8.07am EST 08:07

There was a bit of a scramble on the edge of the D, with the ball eventually falling to Firmino, lurking just to the left of centre 22 yards from goal. He played a short pass into Mane, who moved the ball away from Clyne with his first touch and thwacked it past Guaita with his second. Mane’s speed of thought, and feet, were quite something. He had his back to goal on the edge of the area and was tightly marked by Clyne; a couple of seconds later it was 2-0.

Updated at 8.10am EST

8.05am EST 08:05

GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool (Mane 35)

The best player on the field makes it 2-0 with a brilliant goal!

Mane scores makes space and rifles in. Photograph: Clive Rose/Reuters Mane celebrates after scoring. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

Updated at 8.16am EST

8.03am EST 08:03

32 min I’m not saying the best team are losing, but Alisson has had more to do than Vicente Guaita.