Long before the referee put an end to this carnage, rain had begun to fall over Selhurst Park. An hour prior to the final whistle, the heavens had opened and the streets surrounding this old ground were facing a deluge.
Inside, the floodgates had been smashed down by Liverpool. Now the question heading into Christmas: was this the week when the tide turned in their favour?
In what already feels like a crucial seven days in the title race, Liverpool put seven past Crystal Palace with seven different players creating a goal.