Crystal Palace’s Premier League survival hopes were dealt a significant blow after losing 2-1 late to Liverpool on the eve of Easter Sunday.

Skipper Luka Milivojevic shot the hosts into the lead after Wilfried Zaha was taken out by shot-stopper Loris Karius inside the box, giving them a 1-0 lead into the break.

Winger Sadio Mané levelled the game three minutes after half-time for 1-1, before the Premier League’s leading scorer in Mohamed Salah added to his tally on 87 minutes for his 29th goal this season.

Here are five things we learned…

Benteke could have won the game for Palace – is confidence in him waning?

The former Liverpool striker had two good chances – probably his team’s best in the game – just before the hour mark.

He was put through after a header by Andros Townsend in the first instance, and laid off by the same team-mate in the second opportunity – and neither shot attempt hit the target.

Overall, Palace had several opportunities to get their second, but the best ones fell to their main target man, and it feels as though belief in his ability to lead the attack is beginning to dissipate.

Palace are getting back to full strength, and this performance shows what everyone knows they can do

When fit, Palace are very much able to achieve a top-half position in the league and claim scalps against its best teams.

The midfield – comprising of Yohan Cabaye, James McArthur, and Luka Milivojevic – very much matched Liverpool's, and the front three performed excellently at times.

While it is disappointing only to have come now and not when they were on the seven-match barren run at the start of the season, there is no better time than now to perform like they did in their battle to stay up.

Even an 80 percent fit Zaha is better than no Zaha at all

He was a doubt to start the game, however, his influence was visible.

In the opening 10 minutes he got through ahead of the Liverpool rearguard and, on the second attempt, won a penalty.

At the other end he won back the ball with his defensive workrate while keeping defender Trent Alexander-Arnold on his heels at all times. Without him, Palace may have played entirely differently.

Despite playing well against the top six at times this season, Palace’s record has been very poor

It was Sadio Mané who condemned them to defeat in the reverse fixture last August when the club was led by former manager Frank de Boer.

Not always has the performance matched the result – including this one – where they have perhaps deserved at least a point (see: Manchester United at home).

But it’s difficult to argue with one win, against Chelsea at home, while drawing with Manchester City on New Year’s Eve, and then losing the other 10 fixtures out of 12.

The hardest part is over – now the focus is on the remaining six games

Bournemouth away, Brighton at home, then Watford away – while they are not walkover fixtures by any means, they are opportunities to win nine points. Those are Palace’s next three games.

After a visit from Leicester City, who lost at home to Palace back in December, both Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion will be coming to town for the final two Premier League games of the season.

Roy Hodgson’s men will invariably look at these matches as winnable games, however, at least a very difficult stretch has finished. Despite it being in defeat.