Liverpool will aim to consolidate the spot atop the Premier League table when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
The dreaded international break is nearly upon us, but some more club games remain before players join their national teams. Premier League fans will witness matches in Gameweek 7 this week, with the latest round of fixtures kick-starting at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace will host Liverpool.
Crystal Palace would have hoped for a much better start to the 2024/25 Premier League season than managing only three points from the opening six games. The Eagles were one of the most in-form teams in the first division after Oliver Glasner took over from Roy Hodgson. However, they have yet to clinch their first win of the 2024/25 top-flight campaign, with their points tally leaving them 18th in the standings.
As for Liverpool, they are perched atop the Premier League after winning five of their first six games. Arne Slot’s men might not have been in full flow in a few games but have still managed to find ways to emerge victorious in games. Manchester City’s successive draws have helped the Reds return to the summit, with the away side coming into this game on the back of a 2-0 win over Bologna in the UEFA Champions League.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Liverpool come from a goal down to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 win, with Harvey Elliott scoring the match-winning in injury time. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Liverpool on Saturday, the Crystal Palace manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
Cheick Doucoure is the most notable absentee, with the Malian midfielder recovering from a toe injury. The 24-year-old accompanies Chadi Riad (knee), Chris Richards (hamstring), and Matheus Franca (rib) on the sidelines. In addition, Rob Holding is indefinitely unavailable after a run-in with Glasner.
Dean Henderson is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Crystal Palace lining up in a 3-4-1-2 formation in front of him against Liverpool. The central defensive unit should feature Jefferson Lerma, Marc Guehi, and Maxence Lacroix. Meanwhile, Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will be the two wing-backs.
The duo will flank the two midfielders while providing width in the final third. Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada should pair up in the middle of the park, looking to keep things tight and bring the creative impetus through the central areas. Finally, Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta will be the two strikers, with Eberechi Eze reprising the no. 10 role.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Henderson; Lerma, Guehi, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Eze; Nketiah, Mateta
Liverpool
Like his counterpart in the Crystal Palace dugout, Arne Slot does not have any new injury concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park. The Liverpool manager might be without two first-team players on Saturday.
Harvey Elliott remains on the sidelines for a few more weeks due to a foot injury. Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa faces a late fitness test to determine his availability after missing the midweek UEFA Champions League contest against Bologna with a knock.
Alisson Becker will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Crystal Palace. The backline should feature Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister pick themselves in the double pivot. Dominik Szoboszlai will reprise the no. 10 role, with Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Diogo Jota as the central striker, with Darwin Nunez an option on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace have lost 11 of their last 14 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (W1 D2), although that sole victory was in their most recent clash at Anfield in April. The Reds’ last four Premier League defeats against Crystal Palace have come at Anfield. They are unbeaten in their nine most recent outings at Selhurst Park (W8 D1) since a 3-1 loss in November 2014.
- Crystal Palace have conceded more Premier League goals against Liverpool than they have against any other opponent, both overall (69) and at home (38). The Reds have handed the Eagles their two most crushing home defeats in the competition (6-1 in August 1994 and 7-0 in December 2020).
- Crystal Palace are winless in their six Premier League games thus far this season (D3 L3). Only in 1992/93 (8), 1994/95 (7), 2004/05 (7) and 2017/18 (7) have they gone longer without a win from the start of a top-flight campaign, suffering relegation at the end of the first three of those.
- Liverpool have won all three Premier League away games this season. Only in 1990/91 and 2019/20 did they win their opening four away games in a league campaign. In addition, Arne Slot can become just the fourth manager in Premier League history to win his first four games on the road in the competition after Luiz Felipe Scolari (first 8), John Gregory (5), and Bobby Gould (4).
- Mohamed Salah has scored in all three of Liverpool’s Premier League away games thus far this season. There have been nine previous occasions of a player scoring in his side’s first four on the road in a single campaign; the Egyptian can become the first player to do so twice (also in 2021/22).
Player to Watch
Ryan Gravenberch
Many were sceptical when Liverpool ended the summer transfer window without signing a holding midfielder. The Merseyside outfit looked short in the midfield department, especially after Ryan Gravenberch struggled in his debut season with them. However, the Dutchman has become a mainstay in the middle of the park under the tutelage of Arne Slot.
While Gravenberch has his detractors, he has proven his credentials with solid showings in the middle of the park. In addition, the Dutch midfielder has improved his passing range, with his ability on the ball helping Liverpool in transitions. His performance on Saturday will allow the other midfielders and attackers to express themselves freely, setting the base for a clutch win.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool
Crystal Palace and Liverpool often engage in engrossing affairs, with both meetings last season giving the fans several memorable moments. That should happen again on Saturday, considering the Eagles are desperate for their first Premier League win of the 2024/25 season while the Reds are flying high. However, the gulf in form should prove telling this weekend.
Saturday’s match will be the fifth time in the Premier League that Crystal Palace will face Liverpool with the Reds top of the table. The Eagles have the previous four by an aggregate score of 17-4, including a 7-0 home loss in the most recent encounter (December 2020). Meanwhile, in 30 previous Premier League meetings between Crystal Palace and Liverpool, the away side has won 14 games (47%).
That is the highest away win ratio of any of the 109 fixtures with 30+ match-ups in Premier League history. The number should rise further on Saturday, with the visitors’ form and quality making them straightforward winners. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 victory for Arne Slot and his charges.