Glasner Defends Munoz Goal As Palace Fall To Liverpool At Anfield

Crystal Palace lost 3-1 to Liverpool at Anfield, yet discussion centred on Daniel Munoz's goal against injured goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, with Oliver Glasner defending the decision after a match in which Palace created more chances but Liverpool converted key moments.

The visitors trailed to first-half strikes from Alexander Isak and Andrew Robertson, both taken clinically after Liverpool capitalised on defensive gaps, before Florian Wirtz added a late third deep into stoppage time to silence Palace hopes of a late comeback despite sustained pressure.

Munoz scored in the 71st minute when Woodman lay on the turf after stopping a one-on-one chance from Ismaila Sarr, lifting the ball into an open net as Anfield reacted angrily, yet the referee allowed play to continue because the Liverpool goalkeeper did not suffer a head injury.

Home supporters jeered Munoz repeatedly after the goal and then celebrated again when Wirtz sealed the result in second-half injury time, but Glasner did not criticise the Crystal Palace wing-back or the officials, instead explaining that the speed of the move made any pause difficult.

Asked about the incident by Sky Sports, Glasner said: "It was a difficult situation because he made a big save but the ball goes to Munoz. Everything goes so quickly. He could continue the game until the end and that's why we think it was the right decision. I think that is was okay. When you watch it on TV, it's on the edge, to be honest. He makes the save, then tries to get up then he raises his arm but Munoz is already taking the finish. If he hits his head then the game has to be stopped. It was the right decision I think."

Across the 90 minutes, Crystal Palace produced more attempts than Liverpool and created higher-quality openings, yet failed to turn that advantage into points, while Woodman delivered an important display as Liverpool's third-choice goalkeeper in the absence of Alisson Becker and Giorgio Mamardashvili.

Palace attempted 13 shots to Liverpool's nine and recorded seven efforts on target compared with three from the hosts, while non-penalty expected goals data underlined their attacking threat with a figure unmatched by any away side at Anfield this season.

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The visitors' non-penalty xG of 2.32 represented the highest by a travelling team at Anfield in all competitions during the current campaign, and the biggest for an away side there since Arsenal generated 2.58 in May last season, emphasising how often Liverpool had to rely on Woodman's interventions.

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool context and Glasner's verdict

Woodman ended the match with five saves and several important claims under pressure, and Glasner felt those interventions, combined with Liverpool's superior finishing in decisive moments, shaped the outcome more than overall performance levels across the pitch.

Before this defeat, Crystal Palace were unbeaten in four league matches and had already defeated Liverpool three times this season, winning on penalties in the Community Shield and also taking victories in both the Premier League and the EFL Cup, results that framed Glasner's post-match reflections.

Glasner said: "The difference was the efficiency. Liverpool were clinical and we were not. The goalkeeper had the day of his life so congrats to him, Glasner added. We kept believing until the end. It was really positive and this is what we take into the final weeks. I told them that I think it was our best performance here against Liverpool. We were very competitive here today. I showed them the stats. 2-0 down at half-time, you could say we rest our power for the Conference League semi-final and maybe lose 4-0 or something. This performance will give us a lot of confidence for the rest of the season."

Glasner highlighted that Crystal Palace continued to attack despite trailing 2-0 at half-time, choosing not to conserve energy for the upcoming Conference League semi-final, and believed the display at Anfield, though ending in defeat, strengthened belief for the remainder of the campaign.