THE DETAILS
Venue – Anfield, Liverpool
Referee – Andre Marriner
Date & Time – Sunday, May 23rd @ 16:00
Current Odds – Liverpool 1/7, Draw 15/2, Crystal Palace 14/1
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10,000 lucky souls will attend at Anfield on Sunday. And what a show Jürgen Klopp’s Reds have set up for us all. Whether you’re on The Kop or your couch, this game is massive. There were stages when we never dreamed we’d still be in the fight for the top four on the last weekend of the campaign. Yet, here we are. It’s why we adore Klopp and his Mighty Redmen. The drama, the fight, the highs and the lows – it’s all part of it and the story reaches its conclusion on Sunday.
FORM
Liverpool Form
Liverpool have battled their way back into the top four with four consecutive wins. Another victory on Sunday pretty much guarantees The Reds will stay above Leicester and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Wins against Southampton, Manchester United, West Brom, and Burnley, mean Liverpool have their destiny back in their own hands. Just one more win is needed, Redmen.
Crystal Palace Form
Crystal Palace have won just two of their last eight matches, losing five of those. They are currently 13th in the league with 44 points from their 37 games.
The Eagles are on a seven-game losing streak against Liverpool. Let’s hope they don’t go stopping that run on Sunday.
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool Team News
Liverpool are without Virgil van Dijk, Joël Matip, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson, Ozan Kabak, Naby Keïta, and Ben Davies.
Diogo Jota is also injured but Jürgen Klopp has hinted that there may be a slight chance Jota can feature against Palace, depending on how his rehabilitation goes between now and Sunday.
Nat Phillips turned in a goalscoring, man-of-the-match performance in Liverpool’s win at Burnley on Wednesday. Hopefully, he can finish the season on a high this weekend. Young Rhys Williams will probably partner Phillips at centre-back. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson will be on the flanks, as always.
It may well be the same starting eleven from the Burnley game. That means Fabinho in midfield with Gini Wijnaldum and Thiago Alcântara.
The front trio will be Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané. Maybe Jota can play some part in the second half if he is deemed fit enough.
Crystal Palace Team News
Crystal Palace are likely to be missing former Red Mamadou Sakho, Nathan Ferguson, Eberechi Eze, James McArthur, and Connor Wickham.
It is currently unclear if Luka Milivojević will miss out due to personal reasons.
Roy Hodgson will most likely stick with the 4-3-3 shape he has used with Palace for most of the season. The front trio of Andros Townsend, Christian Benteke, and Wilfried Zaha can be very dangerous against any defence on their day.
Veteran defender Gary Cahill will probably line up alongside James Tomkins at the heart of their back four with Joel Ward and Tyrick Mitchell at right and left-back respectively.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1) – Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Williams, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Mané
Crystal Palace XI (4-3-3) – Guaita; Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, Mitchell; Kouyaté, McCarthy, Schlupp; Townsend, Benteke, Zaha
WHEN THEY LAST MET
Liverpool have won the last seven league meetings between the teams, scoring 22 goals and conceding five. In December, The Reds achieved the club’s biggest ever away win in the league by beating Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park. Last season at Anfield, Liverpool won 4-0 against Palace. It was the win that gave Jürgen Klopp’s side the Premier League title as Manchester City lost at Chelsea the following night.
Crystal Palace’s last victory at Anfield was in April 2017 when they won 2-1.
PREDICTION
LIVERPOOL 2 – 1 CRYSTAL PALACE
I think Palace are going to score. I don’t want to believe that, but I do. Expect either Wilfried Zaha or Christian Benteke to nab one for The Eagles. We’ll probably go behind and fight back for the win. It’s never easy with Liverpool after all. Three points is what’s needed. Three points is a must. Liverpool cannot depend on Spurs getting anything against Leicester.
I think we’ll do it. Hopefully, it’s a hammering to spare our fingernails but it could be a very tight and nervy Sunday afternoon for us all.
