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Salah: Liverpool showed mental strength

Mohamed Salah hailed Liverpool's mental strength in their 4-3 comeback win over Crystal Palace at Anfield on Saturday.

"We talked to each other (at half-time) that we had to be strong mentally because this is a tough time," said Salah, who extended his league-leading tally to 16 goals with a brace against the Eagles.

"This is the most important time for us, when you are struggling you have to be strong in mind, so we talked together and the manager also gave us information and we played well and we deserved the game," he said.

Former Reds manager Roy Hodgson had set Palace up to be disciplined and to frustrate, with the ever dangerous Wilfried Zaha and the under-rated Andros Townsend offering threat on the counter-attack.

The pair combined for Townsend's goal to put Palace 1-0 up and leave Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp with some work to do at the break.

Whatever he said certainly had an impact - it took 47 seconds for Salah to get Liverpool level and, even after Palace levelled the game at 2-2, the Egyptian was on hand to profit from goalkeeper Julian Speroni's error and put them 3-2 up.

Make-shift right-back James Milner was sent off in the 89th minute for a second yellow card after a late challenge on Zaha before Mane added the fourth for the hosts with a solo strike in stoppage time. There was still time for Palace to strike again with Max Meyer beating Alisson with a low shot.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy is convinced that the Reds will go on and win the EPL title, following their win over the Eagles.

Said the Match of the Day pundit on BBC: "Today was the day I have actually really gone all in on Liverpool to win the league. I believe they are going to do it.

"Things are going their way... With Liverpool's remaining fixtures and City's, Liverpool are strong favourites."

Things are indeed going Liverpool's way, as Palace were forced to play third-choice goalkeeper Speroni, whose mistake contributed to Reds' win.

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson jokingly said on Sky Sports: "Speroni will probably get a medal for this if Liverpool win the league."

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