Liverpool and Crystal Palace lock horns for the third time this season when they clash in the Carabao Cup fourth round at Anfield on Wednesday evening.
The Eagles have been triumphant in both previous meetings this season, beginning with their Community Shield victory and followed up by a last-gasp Premier League win in late September. Palace have won three and drawn one of their last four with Liverpool and will head to Merseyside full of confidence, especially given the woeful form of their opponents.
Liverpool plunged into a full-blown crisis on Saturday evening as they were deservedly beaten by Brentford. Their fourth straight Premier League defeat and fifth loss in their last six matches has alarm bells ringing, with Arne Slot under pressure to turn performances and results around swiftly after the summer’s gargantuan transfer spend.
The Reds have enjoyed the Carabao Cup in recent years, reaching three of the last four finals and winning the competition twice in that time. However, they were beaten finalists last season as they were conquered by Newcastle United and their new superstar striker Alexander Isak at Wembley.
Palace don’t enter the fixture in particularly blistering form having suffered a drop-off in results since their 19-match unbeaten run was ended by Everton on their last trip to Merseyside. They are winless in four and even suffered a shock 1–0 defeat to Cypriot minnows AEK Larnaca in the Conference League last Thursday.
Liverpool will be desperate for respite amid a torrid spell, but Palace, spurred on by last term’s FA Cup triumph, will be eager to take another step towards silverware on Wednesday.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the cup clash.
What Time Does Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace Kick Off?
- Location: Liverpool, England
- Stadium: Anfield
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 29
- Kick-off Time: 7.45 p.m. GMT / 3.45 p.m. ET / 12.45 a.m. PT
- Referee: Craig Pawson
Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Liverpool: 1 win
- Crystal Palace: 3 wins
- Draws: 1
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace on TV, Live Stream
Liverpool Team News
Liverpool were without Alexander Isak, Alisson and Jeremie Frimpong for the weekend trip to the Gtech Community Stadium, and will be forced to cope without the trio again on Wednesday.
They could be joined in the treatment room by Curtis Jones, who was withdrawn due to a knock at Brentford. Arne Slot was unsure on the seriousness of his issue after the game, meaning he’s a doubt to feature midweek.
Youngsters Giovanni Leoni, Stefan Bajcetic and Jayden Danns are missing through long-term injuries and will not have the opportunity to impress in the cup.
Despite Liverpool desperately needing victory to stop the rot, Slot is likely to make sweeping changes to his team, including a potential competitive Reds debut for goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Crystal Palace
Liverpool predicted lineup vs. Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Woodman; Bradley, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Mac Allister; Chiesa, Szoboszlai, Ngumoha; Ekitiké.
Crystal Palace Team News
With European football to concern themselves with as well this season, Oliver Glasner might be tempted to make some changes from the regular starting lineup away at Liverpool.
The only players he’s without for the trip to Anfield are Caleb Kporha, Cheick Doucouré and Chadi Riad, with Glasner’s squad relatively healthy at present.
Eddie Nketiah, who scored the stoppage-time winner against Liverpool in September, could lead the line in place of Jean-Philippe Mateta, while Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma, and Jaydee Canvot might come into the team as well.
Liverpool transfer target Marc Guéhi will have another opportunity to impress his suitors.
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool
Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (3-4-2-1): Benítez; Canvot, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Hughes, Lerma, Sosa; Sarr, Kamada; Nketiah.
Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace Score Prediction
Confidence is at an all-time low for Liverpool since Slot took charge and a visit from a menacing Palace team who are quickly becoming their bogey side is the last thing the Reds need. They will hope that their superior squad depth will give them an advantage, with both teams likely to rotate.
Palace seem almost certain to score at Anfield given Liverpool’s dreadful defensive record. They haven’t kept a clean sheet in nine matches and were destroyed by Brentford’s direct approach at the weekend.
However, Liverpool do have an abundance of attacking threat and should cause Palace problems in front of the Anfield crowd. This one could go down to the wire, with the Reds perhaps getting revenge for their Community Shield defeat to the Eagles on penalties.
Prediction: Liverpool 1–1 Crystal Palace (Liverpool win on penalties)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.