Here, with part 2 of his deep dive into how Palace are conceding goals from set-pieces, is Alex Pewter.
Defensive Mistake, Bad Luck or Well Worked?
Having looked broadly at the issues and possible solutions for Crystal Palace defending corners, it's on to the goals themselves. Yes, Palace have conceded six goals from corners, but is it possible they just haven't had the rub of the green? Let's take a look:
#1 Sadio Mané
Straight off the bat, this is the best successful corner routine Palace have faced. Tyrick Mitchell and Christian Benteke are the two "zonal" markers, with Vicente Guaita sitting slightly towards the back post. Conor Gallagher is drawn out to the edge of the box to keep Thiago in check. The rest is man-to-man marking.
The delivery from Kostas Tsimikas is perfect. Mohamed Salah is moving before the kick swings into the area. His marker James McArthur is blocked off by Virgil van Dijk and is forced to move around the back of the pack, where the run of Sadio Mané impeds his run further.
Salah schemed wide open to win the header forces a good save from Guaita. Mané, who has already moved into the six-yard box, pounces on the rebound. 1-0
Conclusion: Well Worked
It is difficult to assign blame to any of the players on this occasion. The corner routine deserved the goal. Such was the execution. James McArthur's reaction before Mané has even taken his shot is telling. He knows he was well beaten.
If we were to nitpick, removing Mitchell from the goal-line would have opened up the possibility of catching Mané or any other forward offside after the save, but it looks like Christian Benteke could have kept him on in any case.
Joel Ward is caught on the backfoot and cannot make it out to Salah in time, but he also loses his designated player in the process. His starting position isn't directly in front of his player like the other markers. As a result, he has lost Mané as soon as the kick is taken.
#2 Mo Salah
Just like the first goal, this is another well-designed move from Liverpool. Palace, though, has ten players in the area to Liverpool's four, including the goalkeeper.
Palace's two "zonal" players and the goalkeeper are in the same location as before, albeit with Odsonne Édouard now in place of Benteke. The three Liverpool players line up one behind the other on the penalty spot, making it difficult for Marc Guéhi and Joachim Andersen to get tight to their marker.
Despite the numerical advantage, Cheikhou Kouyaté is, in essence, in no man's land. As the free player, it isn't clear what area he is covering. Without a touch-tight marker in his way, Virgil moves around Ibrahima Konaté to win the flick-on getting in-between the Palace defenders.
Salah has already anticipated the flick on and makes his run towards the back post. His marker, Jaïro Riedewald, is ball-watching from the initial corner and loses his player completely. Salah's shot is hit at such a pace it gives Guaita no chance. 2-0.
Conclusion: Well Worked/Defensive Error
Liverpool executed this routine to a high level again. They are one of the best sides to taking advantage of dead-ball situations.
That said, Jaïro Riedewald takes most of the blame here, and this goal, coupled with his marking on the next one, must be a reason he hasn't been selected on the bench since this 25-minute cameo.
The central defenders could have done better in the air, but Virgil is a 6'4" player with a tremendous vertical leap if he allowed room. Salah wouldn't usually need much space to finish, but Riedewald gave him plenty.
#3 Naby Keita
Keita took the headlines with this one, and it is a wonderfully struck volley from a technical perspective. Mitchell is no longer on the front post and is on the edge of the area, near the taker. Édouard is the lone outfield player free in the six-yard box.
Tsimikas, now in-swinging the ball from the other side of the pitch, doesn't manage to find a player. The movement is not as precise as the previous two goals, and it seems just to be aimed at Virgil's head.
Guaita deals reasonably well as he reaches over the top of his player and punches it away, beating two Liverpool players to the ball. He ends up on his knees and far off his line as a consequence.
Riedewald once again makes the error, ball-watching for a second time. He drifts in beyond the penalty spot as the cross is being dealt with by Guaita. He ends up 5-6 yards off the player he was meant to be covering on the edge of the area.
Guaita, out of position anyway, is beaten by a superb strike. 3-0.
Conclusion: Defensive Error
It's hard to say this corner was well-worked, as it was a basic routine by Liverpool aiming to take advantage of their tallest player. Guaita does the hard work trying to clear the ball and would ideally want the punch to go wider but isn't at fault overall.
Defending corners successfully and consistently isn't about individual effort but working as a unit. If that unit has a weak spot, it can all fall apart. On this occasion, whilst it had little bearing on the result, Riedewald needed to be in a position to win the second ball and block any shots coming back.
#4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
In contrast to the Liverpool game where Tsimikas was a constant threat as a taker, this goal wasn't about the quality of the corner, rather the response to the second phase.
The ball is very overhit as it sails, untouched, beyond every Palace and Arsenal player. Nicolas Pépé collects the ball out near the touchline and is released by a 1-2 with Takehiro Tomiyasu. Jordan Ayew and Ward are bystanders as Pépé breaks into the area.
Mitchell attempts to close off the lane rather than committing fully to closing him down. Pépé's shot, an excellent curling effort from out wide, is met with a decent save by Guaita. Aubameyang is first to react, effectively given an open goal, turns in a volley with his left foot. 1-0.
Conclusion: Bad Luck
There are faults here, as the team are slow to reset. Palace have generally been good at keeping the ball ahead of them with a good structure in open play. Responding to the game when it breaks down hasn't been as consistent.
Ward and Ayew have to cover a lot of ground to try and close down Pépé, but he and Tomiyasu are quickly set by comparison. The save from Guaita deserved to keep the scores level, but he is unlucky not to get more on it.
Most of the defence had little they could have done in this instance, apart from McArthur's positioning against Aubameyang as he allows him the outside. McArthur's attempt to check him with his arm is evaded as the striker cooly finishes.
#5 Alexandre Lacazette
Nerves setting and a catalogue of errors lead to the Arsenal equaliser on Monday Night Football. Sometimes less is more, as the decision to drop deeper whilst adding an extra central defender helped add to some of the confusion at the back.
Palace initially deals with the corner at the near post before the taker Pépé can collect the ball and put in another cross. Andersen wildly chases the ball down along with Michael Olise, as neither manages to stop the ball into the area whilst taking themselves out of play, nothing is gained, but Andersen's height is taken out of the box.
Palace fails to organise themselves or clear their lines. Instead, they maintain a line deeper than the penalty spot. Here is where the mass of defenders backfire, as no player can get a clean head on the ball. Ward and Tomkins collide, going for the first ball, Benteke backs into Kouyaté for the second.
Only Ben White seems to read where the ball may fall as he peels away from his marker. His volley cannons off Gabriel Martinelli, forcing a reaction save from Guaita with his foot.
The fatal moment for the defence came from McArthur, who is the lone player to drift back onto the goal-line. Alexandre Lacazette saved from being flagged offside equalises. 2-2.
Conclusion: Defensive Error
The panic at the end of the Brighton game was repeated at the end of the Arsenal one. Patrick Vieira was guilty of sitting deeper and deeper whilst removing the pressing that helped close Arsenal down earlier in the game. Possibly this was an overcorrection due to the late equaliser the week prior.
Too many bodies in the box, a lack of organisation and leadership was on show. The goal was the symptom rather than the cause. Bringing James Tomkins into the game isn't necessarily a wrong move. Adding him into the mix in place of Anderson or Guehi would have maintained the shape, prevented crowding in the box whilst adding a more physical presence in the air.
James McArthur was the only player to drift back onto the goal-line. Therefore this wasn't part of the plan but more instinctual. If a team wishes to commit to bringing players into that position, more of them need to do it. Guaita can have a player covering his right as well. That may have blocked Lacazette's shot on the line. If the team is asked to hold the line in these moments, everyone has to do it.
#6 Callum Wilson
The best finish of the six, Callum Wilson's athleticism brought his side back into the game. Palace have set up with three players in the six-yard box, along with Guaita. Four players man-marking with Gallagher covering the edge. Eight players in the area, against five Newcastle players.
Unlike any of the other conceded goals, this was a back-post corner. Three defenders all go for the same ball but miss the flight, leaving Jamaal Lascelles the chance to play the ball back across the box.
Emil Krafth has little time to react but can keep the ball up without much power behind it. Wilson is the first to read the ball's flight and sets himself to shoot, having drifted away from McArthur. 1-1.
Conclusion: Bad Luck
Like the Arsenal game, although this was the first phase of defending, multiple players go for the same ball and fail to make contact. In theory, Andersen is the tallest player in the box, yet Lascelles is better positioned to win the battle.
Like we've seen in other goals conceded, the man-markers become clustered, meaning no one gets a clear sight of the ball.
When a player does that and hits the top corner, it's difficult to be overly critical of the defence, as had he attempted the shot in any other fashion, McArthur would have shut him down.
The outcome of the game ending as a draw was less about conceding this but playing with fine margins, to begin with, rather than putting it away earlier.
Summary
It's a mixed bag for Palace. Liverpool is a well-drilled side when it comes to taking advantage of set-pieces, but the three-goal advantage undermined a valiant effort in open play.
Aside from Liverpool's efforts and benefit of the doubt given due to the quality of Wilson's finish, there is a lot to work on as the season continues. A lot of these goals were avoidable errors.
If you multiplied out the six goals conceded in nine games, the club is projected to concede 25 in total. That is entirely unrealistic, but given the organisation in open play, this area needs attention.