Liverpool 
Crystal Palace Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: Premier League Preview
Liverpool head into Saturday's Anfield fixture in a strange place. The title race has slipped away, the Champions League dream died against PSG across two legs, and the FA Cup exit at the Etihad was brutal. Three consecutive defeats, conceding eight goals in the process. Arne Slot's side still have European ambitions to fight for via their league position, but the energy around this team right now is fragile. Crystal Palace will know that.
The visitors arrive having been knocked out of the Conference League by Fiorentina, losing 1-2 in Florence after winning the first leg 3-0 at Selhurst Park. It's a tough pill to swallow for Oliver Glasner's side. But in the Premier League, Palace have been genuinely difficult to break down. That 0-0 draw with West Ham last time out was dull, yet their home win over Newcastle before it showed there's real quality in this squad when the moment calls for it.
Form and Firepower
Liverpool's league form in isolation is decent enough. They beat Everton 2-1 away and put Fulham to the sword 2-0 at home before the European distraction swallowed them whole. Hugo Ekitike leads the scoring charts with 11 goals in 28 appearances this season, and Mohamed Salah has contributed 7 goals and 6 assists from 24 games. The attacking talent is there. The question is whether the squad has the mental energy to shift back into Premier League mode after back-to-back 0-2 UCL losses.
Palace are no pushovers. Jean-Philippe Mateta has 10 goals in 26 appearances, and Ismaila Sarr adds a genuine threat with 7 goals from 22 games. Glasner has built a side that works hard and hits quickly on the counter. At a slightly deflated Anfield, that could cause real problems.
Liverpool's home record this season tells its own story: 9 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses. They're not the fortress they once were. Away from home Crystal Palace have won 7 of their 15 league games, which is not to be dismissed lightly.
Head-to-Head: Palace Have the Edge
The recent history between these clubs is firmly in Palace's favour, and by a significant margin. Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 2-1 at Selhurst Park in the Premier League back in September. Before that, they hammered Liverpool 3-0 in the League Cup at Anfield in October 2025. The Community Shield in August ended 2-2. Liverpool's only win in the last five meetings came in October 2024 at Crystal Palace, a 1-0 result.
That 3-0 League Cup result at Anfield particularly stands out. Palace proved they can come to this ground and dominate. These aren't flattering draws or narrow escapes, they are comprehensive victories.
Team News
Liverpool are missing Joseph Gomez, Freddie Woodman, and Ryan Gravenberch, with all three confirmed absent. Reports from the Standard also indicate Liverpool received a triple injury boost ahead of this one, so the squad picture may be brighter than those absences suggest. Crystal Palace have no confirmed injury concerns heading into the trip to Anfield.
The Betting Angle
Liverpool at 1.57 to win is short given everything swirling around this club right now. Three defeats on the spin, a dressing room that's just been knocked out of two cup competitions in the space of three weeks, and a head-to-head record that makes uncomfortable reading. Palace at 6.4 reflects genuine value when you factor in that away form, the recent H2H dominance, and the psychological state of both squads coming into this.
The Over 2.5 Goals at 1.66 is the market I'd lean towards though. Liverpool need to prove something in front of their own fans and will come out firing. Palace have the pace to punish them on the break. Both teams have just exited European competitions, have attacking players in form, and are playing with nothing to lose. This game has goals written all over it. The 3-0 League Cup defeat at Anfield earlier this season shows these sides don't cancel each other out, they produce action.
Odds: 1.66 โ Codere (IT)
Liverpool are desperate to respond after three straight defeats, and they'll push hard at Anfield. Crystal Palace carry genuine threat on the counter through Mateta and Sarr, and recent meetings between these sides have rarely been cagey. The head-to-head and current momentum from both teams points to an open, high-energy game with goals at both ends.