There was an acceptance, following Liverpool’s opening pre-season friendly, that a 4-0 loss to Man United was not a reflection on the progress made in the early weeks of training.

But there were positive signs during the follow-up in Singapore, as the Reds dominated a mediocre Palace side.

It was a strong lineup from the off, and Harvey Elliott was the inspiration throughout the first half, with it no surprise then he laid on the summer’s opening goal.

Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson celebrates after scoring the first goal during the Standard Chartered Trophy pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at the Singapore National Stadium. 

A smart pullback from the new No. 19 allowed a trademark finish from Jordan Henderson, and Elliott should have added another for Liverpool later on as the skewed wide following a smart move from James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

As is typical for players during pre-season, Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled up with injury late into the first half, with his place taken by the youngster Leighton Clarkson.

Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace

Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez (L) during the Standard Chartered Trophy pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at the Singapore National Stadium. As expected, there were wholesale changes at the break, including the first-ever outing for goalkeeper Harvey Davies, who is set to serve as the fourth choice throughout 2022/23.

Liverpool was 2-0 up within a minute of the restart, with the brilliant Mohamed Salah combining with Trent Alexander-Arnold and firing a right-footed effort that evaded Vicente Guaita via a deflection.

Darwin Nunez was the target for several hopeful balls as the Reds look to get their new teammate off the mark, but the Uruguayan may take longer to settle.

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk hands the captain’s armband to Mohamed Salah during the Standard Chartered Trophy pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at the Singapore National Stadium. A raft of further changes was to come with 12 minutes to play, with Salah and Fabio Carvalho the only players to keep their place as Klopp turned to academy representatives.

The game drifted as Liverpool maintained control, with the 2-0 victory a valuable exercise ahead of the return to Europe.