Crystal Palace v Liverpool: Line-ups, stats and preview

Preview for Crystal Palace v Liverpool

Liverpool will attempt to extend their 100 per cent start to the new Premier League season to six games tomorrow when they visit Crystal Palace.

The defending champions have won every game without seemingly hitting their best form – an ominous sign for the rest of the title contenders.

And even boss Arne Slot admits they may have had fortunate on their side in certain games.

 “If you’d have asked me to play Newcastle away, Arsenal at home and all these difficult games that we would have the maximum results then I would sign for that straight away,” he said.

“Most of them were quite close and we might have been a bit lucky to get the maximum points but we work incredibly hard, and if you work as hard as we do then you give yourself a chance to be a bit lucky.

“I don’t think we stole a win. It’s not like we totally haven’t deserved it but there were games where draws maybe would have been more fair.”

Liverpool under Slot have swept all before them but they have found things more difficult against Palace than other teams.

They won 1-0 at Selhurst Park last season but drew at Anfield in the return and again at Wembley when the sides met in the season-opening Community Shield.

The Dutchman added: “We find it very hard to score goals against them [Crystal Palace].

“In the three games we have played, twice we only scored one goal and once we scored two but they scored two as well.

“It’s a difficult team to score goals against. Until now, we have been able to score against them but they have improved, especially compared to the first time we played them.

“We have players that can score goals and have the quality as a team to create chances but because of the way they play, it’s not easy to create – that’s why when we create it would be smart to score as soon as we can.”

Palace come into the game on the back of a 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions. They lost Eberechi Eze in the summer but captain Marc Guehi remained an Eagle after a deadline-day move to Liverpool fell through.

Team News for Crystal Palace v Liverpool

Winger Yeremy Pino has trained this week after sustaining a knock in the 2-1 win at West Ham last Saturday and could line-up alongside the fit again Ismaila Sarr.

Liverpool will be without forward Hugo Ekitike following his brainless red card against Southampton in the EFL Cup in midweek. Alexander Isak is likely to deputise.

Teenage centre-half Giovanni Leoni is out for potentially 12 months after rupturing an ACL against the Saints. Florian Wirtz is likely to return having been left out against Everton.

Predicted line-ups for Crystal Palace v Liverpool

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Guehi, Richards, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta

Liverpool: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

How to watch Crystal Palace v Liverpool: TV and online streams

Crystal Palace versus Liverpool kicks-off at 3pm tomorrow afternoon. It is not available to watch on TV in the UK, neither can it be streamed.

Stats for Crystal Palace v Liverpool

• Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 16 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D3 L12), winning 1-0 at Anfield in April 2024. The Eagles haven’t scored more than once in any of their last 12 league games against the Reds (6 goals)
• Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their opening five matches of a top-flight season for the first time since 1990-91 (opening 10) when they went on to finish 3rd, their best ever finish in the top-flight