Two days after drawing 1-1 with Hoffenheim in the Europa League, Crystal Palace return to Premier League action without having solved the problem that defined that night: an inability to hold a lead or find a winning margin. Pierre Sage’s side sit 19th in the table with just 7 points from nine games, four points adrift of safety. Liverpool arrive at Selhurst Park carrying their own concerns after losing 3-2 to Fenerbahce in the Champions League on Tuesday. Neither side lands here in ideal shape.
What’s at stake
Crystal Palace are in the relegation zone, sitting 19th with 7 points from nine Premier League games. They have conceded 21 goals and scored just 9, a goal difference of minus 12 that tells the story of a defence under sustained pressure. Manchester United, also on 7 points, sit immediately above them in 18th. Sunderland, two points back in 20th, are the only side below them. A win here would lift Palace into 17th at minimum, depending on other results, and begin to put some real distance between them and automatic relegation.
For Liverpool, the picture is different but not comfortable. Sixth place with 15 points from nine games, they sit two points outside the top five and five behind fourth-placed Chelsea. The top eight qualify for European competition next season, so Andoni Iraola’s side have breathing room, but back-to-back defeats, at home to Arsenal in the Premier League and away to Fenerbahce in the Champions League, have put pressure on the next run of fixtures. A loss at Selhurst Park would leave them in real danger of slipping further from the European places.
How they got here
Crystal Palace’s last five games tell a consistent story: a League Cup win at Fulham is their only victory in that run, sandwiched between two Premier League defeats, a draw against Besiktas in the Europa League, and Thursday’s draw with Hoffenheim. In the league specifically, they lost 0-2 at Tottenham on October 31 and 0-2 at home to Newcastle five days before that. The backline has been generous too often. Liverpool’s recent form is mixed: wins over Villarreal and Brighton have been cancelled out by the defeat to Arsenal and the loss in Istanbul. The Reds have drawn with Chelsea in the League Cup and have yet to string consecutive wins in any competition over the last fortnight.
Palace’s league position, 19th on 7 points, reflects a side that has won twice, drawn once, and lost six times. Liverpool in sixth have 15 points, with four wins, three draws, and two losses. Arsenal lead the table on 27 points, already 12 clear of Liverpool, so the title conversation is not one Iraola’s squad is involved in right now. The gap to the top four is five points with a game in hand on some sides, keeping European ambitions alive but requiring consistency that has been absent lately.
Key battle to watch
Alexander Isak has 6 Premier League goals this season, joint second in the scoring charts alongside Everton’s T. Barry. Palace have shipped 21 league goals in nine games, more than any side in the top half and among the worst records in the division. How Sage sets up defensively against Isak, particularly with Disasi and Richards as the likely centre-back pairing, will shape the afternoon. If Palace invite pressure and Liverpool find their striker early, the game could be over before Selhurst Park has time to generate any real atmosphere. Palace need to be compact and transition quickly, something they have failed to do consistently in recent weeks.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
The head-to-head record is surprisingly tight, Palace winning 3 of the last 10 meetings and beating Liverpool 2-1 in the Premier League just over a year ago. But the gap in league form and defensive solidity makes it hard to back another upset. Liverpool have enough quality in attack, with Isak in form, to punish a Palace backline that has been leaking regularly. Expect Liverpool to control large portions of this game and take the points, though the Eagles’ home crowd and Europa League experience of playing under pressure gives them a chance of making it uncomfortable.
Crystal Palace
Liverpool