Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce 'breathing easier' after victory at Liverpool

Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce said he was "breathing a little easier" after Sunday's 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield all but guaranteed another season in the Premier League.

A goal in each half by former Liverpool striker Christian Benteke secured a sixth win in eight league games to move the Eagles into 12th place - seven points clear of danger.

"We have five games to go so this one is so important," said Allardyce.

"It lifts the pressure on us."

• Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace: Match report & stats

Palace's win at Anfield makes it three big scalps claimed in April, after equally impressive victories over Chelsea and Arsenal.

Tottenham are the next big-hitters they face, but with only a short turnaround before the game at Selhurst Park on Wednesday Allardyce is planning wholesale changes.

"I am worried these lads can't reach this level when they don't have time to recover," he said. "I may have to make huge changes to make sure we compete with Tottenham."

'We exposed Liverpool's weaknesses'

Premier League survival is not yet certain but the 38 points Palace already have would have been enough to keep them up in each of the past five seasons.

After a slow start following his appointment in December, Allardyce has now guided the Eagles to seven league wins in 2017 - one more than they managed under predecessor Alan Pardew in the whole of 2016.

And the former England boss took particular satisfaction from this latest win - his first at Anfield in 14 attempts as a manager.

"I thought we were, from start to finish, tactically exceptional," he said.

"With our limited possession we exposed Liverpool's weaknesses time and time again and ultimately that has brought us from 1-0 down to win it.

"I give the players a huge amount of credit for the way they defended and how they exposed the weaknesses of Liverpool defensively, which in the end they couldn't cope with.

"On the corners everyone knows Liverpool are pretty weak - they conceded six off corners which we told the lads about. It's now seven off that corner that has got us the winner."