Premier League – 2nd day: At ten, Liverpool must settle for a draw against Crystal Palace (1-1)

Patrick Vieira frustrates Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool. Coming with the ambition to carry out the hold-up at Anfield, the French coach almost saw his players succeed, after Wilfried Zaha’s opener. Already held in check by Fulham on the first day (2-2), the Liverpuldians were reduced to ten after the expulsion of Darwin Nuñez, but they managed to come back thanks to a superb achievement from Luis Diaz (1-1 ).

It’s the first time in 10 years that the Reds have failed to win either of their first two games of the season. A figure that sums up the departure far from his ambitions of the 2020 English champion, victim of disillusionment at home, this time. The fault of a team that defended valiantly, as Vieira had expected, who had come to the north of England with a 5-4-1 system and a very low block relying on Zaha to try to make badly against.

24 shots, but only 4 on target for Liverpool

Very quickly, Mohamed Salah’s teammates monopolized the ball, and after only 57 seconds, James Milner, starter in the absence of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones and especially Thiago Alcantara, thrilled his fans with a shot above. The opportunities multiplied on the local side (9th twice, 17th, 21st, 23rd, 30th). But following a superb outing from Eberechi Eze, who then perfectly launched Zaha in depth, Alisson, on his first shot suffered, had to go get the ball in the back of his net (0-1, 32nd).

Freed by the opener, the teammates of Joachim Andersen, the former Lyonnais who long extinguished Darwin Nuñez, holder this time at the forefront of the Reds attack, however missed their opportunities to break away (37th, 38th , 41st). Still frustrated after the post hit by the Uruguayan just before the break (45th + 4), the Liverpuldiens then saw their business spoil after the expulsion of their new offensive recruit, who came to give a slight whim to Andersen, with which he had bickered the whole game (57th).

But far from taking off, the Eagles still suffered, in numerical superiority, against the locals. In particular Diaz, author of a magnificent solo, from the left towards the axis in front of the surface, before a clear strike which finally beat Vicente Guaita (1-1, 61st).

While Zaha failed to restore the advantage to his own, finding only the post (78th), Salah and Carvalho saw their shot just miss the target (87th, 90th). Suffice to say that the upcoming match against Manchester United, red lantern and author of a catastrophic start, promises to be very hot for the Reds.