It now seems virtually impossible that Jurgen Klopp’s emotional farewell tour will end with a Premier League title, writes JOE BERNSTEIN as Eberechi Eze earns a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in Liverpool.

Once again, Liverpool gave their opponents a head start, but this time there was no let-up. As a result, it seems virtually impossible that Jurgen Klopp’s emotional farewell tour will end in Premier League victory.

Liverpool have clawed back a remarkable 27 points after losing positions this season, but have failed to learn from the early handing out of goodies.

Recent history suggested normal service would resume even after Eberechi Eze exploited Liverpool’s slow defense to score after 14 minutes – the fourth time in five league matches Klopp has seen his side concede first at Anfield .

Yet even the most dynamic groups of players can’t count on returns every time.

On this occasion, Liverpool hit the woodwork, missed a few glaring chances and faced a goalkeeper Dean Henderson in fine form.

Eberechi Eze’s 14th-minute goal was enough for Palace to inflict a rare home defeat on the Reds.

Defeat could prove crucial to Liverpool’s title hopes in Jurgen Klopp’s final season.

The Reds dominated much of the encounter, but wasted several chances.

The result was that they finished the weekend in third position after starting it tied. Given the expertise of Manchester City in particular, overcoming a two-point deficit on the reigning champions at this stage seems unrealistic.

Anfield Fortress was breached at the wrong time. Thursday’s 3-0 defeat to Atalanta was their first home defeat in a competition for 14 months. Now their proud unbeaten Premier League home run is also gone, with Leeds the previous team to come away with the points in October 2022.

After battling a list of serious injuries for most of the season, Liverpool are suddenly looking a little leggy and insecure.

Too many of them are burned out – Alexis Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez, Wataru Endo – or unaware following layoffs; Diogo Jota, Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Klopp had wanted a reaction to Atalanta’s defeat and the poignant pre-match tribute honoring the 97 supporters who died at Hillsborough 35 years ago this weekend added to the narrative that things would get better on field.

But Premier League football is notoriously an unsentimental sector, with its competitiveness one of the reasons it attracts global appeal.

Palace had not won in five games under new manager Oliver Glasner and were still looking anxiously over their shoulders at the last three.

Yet with the talented Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise both fit enough to play – with Olise making his first start since January – they made a mockery of form in the first 20 minutes.

They held possession long enough – an impressive 21 passes – for left-back Tyrick Mitchell to advance into the Liverpool penalty area and he had the composure to pull back for Eze, who had time to beat Alisson’s return for his seventh goal. of the season.

Dean Henderson was in inspired form in goal as he sent a reminder to Gareth Southgate

The memorable victory took Oliver Glasner’s side eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Joachim Andersen was one of several Palace players to put in a superb performance at Anfield

“Applause to the team,” manager Oliver Glasner said of the quality of the goal, but for Liverpool it was a disaster. Mitchell’s pass had gone through the legs of the sliding Endo and Ibrahima Konate couldn’t change direction quickly enough to put pressure on the goalscorer.

Remarkably, the Londoners almost added an immediate second when Virgil van Dijk slipped on the halfway line, allowing Jean-Philippe Mateta a clear run towards the Liverpool goal with only Alisson to beat.

He drank the goalkeeper and was almost celebrating 2-0 when Andy Robertson showed great awareness to track back and latch on to the ball after a game had already crossed the line.

Liverpool’s range of attacking talent is such that they can create chances even when they are below their best and that proved the case yesterday, even if they didn’t get the reward ultimate.

A scramble in goal after a corner saw Endo hit the crossbar and after Henderson collected Luis Diaz’s scissor kick, the Colombian turned to the fans and gestured with his arms to move them forward.

Salah’s cut inside mark and rasping shot was parried by Henderson whose overall performance would not have hurt his chances of making Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euros.

Reds fans bemoaned their team as they lost ground in three-way title race

It could have been worse for the Reds, with Andy Robertson clearing on the goal line.

Klopp wasn’t afraid to push and make changes. Dominik Szoboszlai was first to arrive at half-time with Alexander-Arnold, also returning from injury, introduced after 48 minutes as Conor Bradley limped off.

Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo came on for the final quarter and Harvey Elliott was one last roll of the dice towards the end. But the story remained the same.

Nunez couldn’t believe Henderson had been one step ahead of this thunderous strike from close range after van Dijk had won the initial header from a corner.

Even if the goalkeeper was beaten, he had a teammate to help him. In particular, former Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne produced a fantastic block to prevent Jota from interfering.

Some of Liverpool’s other misses have been self-inflicted. When Cody Gakpo released Curtis Jones, the midfielder shot wide with only the keeper to beat. Salah was jumping up and down in frustration, perhaps wanting the pass.

Palace also remained a threat at the break with Mateta thwarted from close range by Alisson.

With the finish line in sight, they took more than 60 seconds to make a triple substitution, much to the chagrin of the home fans and Alexander-Arnold who ran to the touchline to complain.

Trent Alexander-Arnold returned from the bench, but he couldn’t save Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp’s side continue to be plagued by defensive weaknesses as they concede at home again

But barring a radical change in momentum, a season that promised Liverpool’s potential quadruple could now come down to ‘just’ the Carabao Cup.

“We had exceptional passion to defend as a team,” Glasner said.

The Liverpool manager replied: “We weren’t great. Crystal Palace had far too many moments where we ran in the wrong direction. Did Macca and Wataru play too much? Maybe,’

For Klopp, the final blows of an incredible career at Anfield could be among the toughest.