Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace was overshadowed by a nightmare injury for Mohamed Salah that may have ended his Anfield playing career
17:01, 25 Apr 2026Updated 17:16, 25 Apr 2026
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Mohamed Salah went off injured in a nightmare for the Liverpool talisman and manager Arne Slot(Image: Getty Images)
A nightmare injury to Mohamed Salah overshadowed Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace as he may have played his last game in a red shirt.
The 'Egyptian King' is set to leave on a free transfer this summer, bringing the curtain down on his goal and trophy-laden nine-year spell at Anfield. But the 33-year-old was forced off before the hour mark with a suspected hamstring injury against the Eagles.
Arne Slot's side were 2-0 ahead at that point, thanks to first half goals from Alexander Isak - his first in the Premier League at Anfield - and another legend who will be departing this June, left-back Andy Robertson. Not long after Salah's withdrawal however Oliver Glasner's side cut the lead with a hugely controversial goal.
Mohamed Salah looked emotional as he left the field injured
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Mohamed Salah looked emotional as he left the field injured(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
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Third choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, only playing due to injuries to number one stopper Alisson Becker and his stand-in Giorgi Mamardashvili, denied Ismaila Sarr but went down injured in the process, before trying to stand but falling back down to the turf, clutching his right knee in pain.
And with the goal unprotected, the ball fell to Palace fullback Daniel Munoz, who rather than putting it out of play, and with the referee Andy Madley choosing not to stop the game, simply chipped into an empty net from outside the box to halve the deficit. Woodman was eventually okay to continue, but boos and jeers rang out around Anfield and persisted every time Munoz was on the ball.
There was also controversy earlier in the game, as in the 25th minute Brennan Johnson was judge to have fouled Salah in the box to stop a counter-attack and a penalty was awarded. Yet that decision was overturned following a VAR review because Johnson had won the ball cleanly.
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Alexander Isak celebrates his goal for Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Isak opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a scrappy finish. The £125m summer signing from Newcastle who has been plagued by fitness and injury woes all campaign finally saw some luck when Alexis Mac Allister fired an effort goalwards, which bounced up for the Swedish striker, who hit it into the ground, only for it to bounce up and into the net.
With five minutes until halftime, a fine counter attack saw Robertson double Liverpool's lead. Woodman twice denied Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, the second from a diving header, before Florian Wirtz and Curtis Jones surged forward, with the Liverpudlian midfielder's perfectly-weighted pass finding Robertson, who slotted past Dean Henderson into the corner.
Slot's selection of Jones again at right-back ahead of Jeremie Frimpong, with Mac Allister favoured instead of Ryan Gravenberch in the starting line-up, certainly raised eyebrows ahead of the clash. But the Scouser put on a fine performance and the ball he played for Robertson to score was vindication of the Dutch manager's big call to rest his compatriots Frimpong and Gravenberch in this fixture.
Andy Robertson scored a great goal as he heads towards the Anfield exit door
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Andy Robertson scored a great goal as he heads towards the Anfield exit door(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Jones, excelling again in a makeshift role as he did in the last-gasp victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby, dealt well with the attacking threat of Tyrick Mitchell and helped Liverpool's build-up play from the back. It was his defence-splitting pass that resulted in Robertson's goal, while the academy gradate provided several bursting runs from right-back.
Any nerves Liverpool had in the closing stages - and there were plenty when Palace hit both posts through Jorge Strand Larsen after Dominik Szoboszlai lost the ball to Adam Wharton - were finally eased when Florian Wirtz scored a sumptuous third goal.
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The German star pounced in stoppage time as Mac Allister held off Wharton from a Joe Gomez long throw-in and hit a sensational curling strike past Henderson. Premier League pundit Don Hutchison said: "Oh, that's a strike - that's a thing of beauty."
Having moved into fourth thanks to Aston Villa's 1-0 loss away at Fulham, Liverpool are ending the season strongly, now eight points clear of Brighton in sixth and looking certain to qualify for next season's Champions League.
But the loss of Salah is one that may harm them in their final four games, especially next up against Manchester United at Old Trafford - where he so often has put Liverpool's bitter rivals to the sword - along with tugging at the heartstrings of all Reds fans if he is unable to take to the pitch for them again.