HUGO EKITIKE provided a glimpse of his immeasurable talent at Wembley in front of a packed crowd but that was not enough to save his team from a defeat.
The new Reds striker picked his spot after a tidy pass from fellow newcomer Florian Wirtz, before leaving his marker for dead just four minutes into the game and planting the ball in the far corner, beyond the reach of Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
GettyHugo Ekitike shone for Liverpool at Wembley[/caption]
ReutersMohamed Salah wasted multiple chances to score[/caption]
GettyVirgil van Dijk was off the pace[/caption]
However, the early goal was ultimately in vain as the Eagles went on to win the match 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time.
Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a penalty during the match after a clumsy tackle from Virgil van Dijk on Ismaila Sarr.
But Jeremie Frimpong instantly proved himself a worthy replacement for the attacking prowess of Trent Alexander-Arnold by firing the Reds in front.
Liverpool continued to dominate the first period but then found themselves up against it after an improved second half display from Palace, who looked a better, and fitter, team.
In the closing stages, Ismaila Sarr beat the offside trap after an eye-of-the-needle pass from Adam Wharton before firing past Alisson to make it 2-2.
Mo Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott then missed their spot kicks as Palace made it their second trophy in a matter of months.
That would prove costly as Sarr first beat the offside line after a thread through the needle pass from Adam Wharton before firing past Alisson to make it 2-2, 13 minutes to go and force the game into penalties.
Here’s how SunSport reporter Rahman Osman rated the Liverpool players…
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Alisson Becker – 7
Impressive save to deny Mateta in a one-on-one situation. Consistently came off his line to thwart danger. What makes him so effective is his calmness in precarious situations.
But he did find himself exposed by Liverpool’s high line, so had to stay alert. Will be annoyed to have conceded twice.
Jeremie Frimpong – 7
GettyJeremie Frimpong scored in the first half[/caption]
There may have been a bit of fortune with his goal, but his overall performance was impressive.
He showed all the signs of being a brilliant replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, pace, power and poise on and off the ball.
Ibrahima Konate – 6
One of the cornerstones on which Liverpool built last season.
He looked comfortable for large parts of the game and showed nerves of steel when he calmly dealt with Eberechi Eze, who looked set to score early in the second half.
Virgil van Dijk – 5
Normally Liverpool’s Mr Dependable, he would have been gutted to have given away the Palace penalty with his challenge on Sarr.
He looked uncomfortable being dragged onto his left side, with Sarr choosing to take him on whenever he had a run at him.
Milos Kerkez – (Andy Robertson, 84) 6
ReutersMilos Kerkez struggled at times[/caption]
Struggled early in the second half, which meant Gakpo had to drop deep to help.
Defensively, he was decent, even if it wasn’t spectacular.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 6
A strange game for the powerful midfielder.
It felt like there was more he could have done, but he still looked very comfortable, notwithstanding a few misplaced passes that almost caught his defence out.
Curtis Jones – (Wataru Endo, 71) 5
A quiet game for Jones, who was replaced in the 71st minute.
Mohamed Salah – 5
ReutersSalah skied his penalty in the shootout[/caption]
Liverpool’s talisman had a quiet game by his own very high standards.
Not that he was bad, as he looked to play a supporting role and put his team-mates through on goal.
But it was strange to see Liverpool needing a goal and Salah not threatening as he usually does plus he missed a vital penalty kick.
Florian Wirtz – (Harvey Elliott, 84) – 6
A delicate pass to Ekitike for the first Liverpool goal.
Throughout his time on the pitch, he showed glimpses of how technically adept he is, changing pace or leaving his man for dead with a simple shift of his body.
Cody Gakpo – 6
He was deployed on the left side of the attack and did a solid job balancing his attacking duties with helping out Kerkez.
Hugo Ekitike – (Alexis Mac Allister, 71) – 7
AlamyEkikite scored early on for Liverpool[/caption]
What a brilliant finish to silence the vociferous Palace fans early on.
He showed his quality by dropping his shoulder, picking his spot, and finishing with precision into the far corner.
Huge boost for him and the team.
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