Salah scores two as Speroni howler helps Liverpool beat Crystal Palace

Mohamed Salah's two goals helped Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 4-3 at Anfield to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to seven points.

The Egyptian sealed the win with the 50th Premier League goal of his career, becoming the first Egyptian and the eighth African to reach that milestone, though he only did so courtesy of a mistake from Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni.

Salah and Roberto Firmino had put Liverpool ahead early in the second half after Andros Townsend's first-half opener, only for James Tomkins to score a header midway through the second half that looked as though it would seal a point for Eagles manager Roy Hodgson against one of his former clubs.

Salah's second was enough to seal the three points, but there was still time for Sadio Mane and substitute Max Meyer to add well-taken goals before the final whistle.

The win gives Jurgen Klopp's side some breathing space ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who play the Premier League's bottom side Huddersfield Town on Sunday.

Liverpool dominated the possession from the start but struggled to fashion any clear chances as Palace kept plenty of men behind the ball -- Firmino fired high and wide from range before James Milner's clever through ball to Joel Matip was smothered by Speroni in the early stages of the match.

There were optimistic signs for the Reds as the half-hour mark passed, with Matip sending a free header from a corner wide and Virgil van Dijk had an effort diverted off target.

But soon afterward, Palace were ahead. Liverpool's attackers were drawn in and Palace got the ball past them to Patrick van Aanholt. The Dutchman surged forward before finding Wilfried Zaha on the left, and the forward's pass back from the byline was swept home clinically by Townsend with what was Palace's first shot on target.

Salah's efforts to gain an equaliser before half-time saw him appear to throw himself to the ground after contact from Palace defender Mamadou Sakho, but referee Jon Moss waved away appeals for a penalty as the two players continued to argue.

Salah got his goal soon after the break when Van Dijk's shot from range looped up off a defender and fell for the Egyptian to knock an instinctive close-range finish past Speroni for his 49th Premier League goal.

Having got back on terms, the home side began to assert their dominance once more, with left-back Andrew Robertson dragging an effort wide after driving forward through the centre, and they went ahead in the 53rd minute. Palace failed to clear a corner and the ball came to Firmino in the area. The Brazilian's shot deflected off a defender and crept past Speroni.

But once more Palace came back, and on 65 minutes Luka Milivojevic's corner was headed home by the unmarked Tomkins at the far post.

Palace looked good value for a share of the points, but their efforts were undone when, with 15 minutes remaining, Speroni could only palm Milner's cross into the air in his six-yard area, and Salah pounced to get a touch on the ball just before the whole of it crossed the line.

Liverpool, who had lost three of their last four Premier League home games against Palace, were reduced to 10 men in the closing moments when Milner was sent off for a second booking when he caught Zaha with a late tackle. But victory was assured in injury time when Mane swept in a low finish into the far corner, even though Max Meyer pulled another back for Palace with a clinical strike from the edge of the box.