Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Betting Preview, Tips & Odds | 25 April 2026

Season in Freefall, but Anfield Still Counts for Something

Liverpool's 2025/26 season has collapsed from title contender to damage limitation in the space of a few weeks. Back-to-back 0-2 defeats to PSG ended their Champions League run at the quarter-final stage, and before that, Manchester City put four past them in the FA Cup. Three eliminations, zero trophies, and a squad that suddenly looks stretched and rattled heading into the final weeks of the Premier League campaign.

Arne Slot's side sit fifth on 55 points, and European qualification via the league is now the only thing left to fight for. That matters. Don't mistake the recent results for a team that's completely checked out, because a top-four finish is still very much alive and Anfield remains a fortress by reputation, even if the stats show a more complicated picture this season: nine wins at home but three defeats. Still, this is where Liverpool need to dig in.

Hugo Ekitike leads the scoring charts with 11 goals in 28 appearances this season, though a news update in the past 72 hours suggests his availability for this one is uncertain. That's a big deal. Mohamed Salah has contributed 7 goals and 6 assists in 24 apps, and Cody Gakpo has been quietly consistent with 6 goals and 5 assists across 31 appearances. Ryan Gravenberch is also listed as missing, which weakens the engine room at a time when Liverpool can least afford it.

Crystal Palace: Dangerous, Battle-Hardened, and With a Point to Prove at Anfield

Palace arrive with serious H2H baggage in Liverpool's favour historically, but this specific group under Oliver Glasner has done the damage in the recent record. A 3-0 win over Liverpool in the League Cup at Anfield in October, then a 2-1 home win in the Premier League in September. The Community Shield was a 2-2 draw. Liverpool's only win in the last five meetings between these clubs came over a year ago.

Palace have been doing the rounds in the Conference League too, going out to Fiorentina at the quarter-final stage after a 3-0 home win was overturned with a 1-2 defeat away. That European run adds legs to their campaign, and a 0-0 home draw with West Ham most recently keeps them ticking over in the league. Jean-Philippe Mateta leads their attack with 10 goals in 26 appearances, and Ismaila Sarr, who's chipped in with 7 goals in 22 apps, is confirmed as a doubt for this fixture. That's significant. Sarr's pace and directness is a key outlet for Glasner's system, and losing him blunts one of Palace's sharpest weapons.

Daichi Kamada and Chadi Riad also miss out for Palace, so it's not just Liverpool carrying injury concerns into this one.

The Betting Angle

The H2H record is genuinely alarming for Liverpool. Palace have won two of the last three meetings, drawn one, and the only Liverpool win in this run came away from Anfield. That said, Sarr's absence changes the dynamic considerably. He's been one of their most dangerous players this season, and without him, Palace's threat on the break is reduced.

Liverpool need the points. Fifth place, European qualification on the line, and Anfield to use as leverage. The squad is disrupted but the motivation is real. At 1.51, Liverpool Win isn't a generous price, but there's a strong case that this is exactly the type of mid-table opposition, shorn of a key attacker, that Liverpool need to beat at home to keep their season from completely unravelling.

Over 2.5 Goals at 1.64 also has appeal given Liverpool's need to score and Palace's capacity to nick goals on the counter through Mateta, but the match result feels like the cleaner play here. Slot needs a response, the crowd will push for it, and Palace without Sarr are a different proposition to the side that tore Liverpool apart in October.