Liverpool host Crystal Palace at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and are big favourites to pick up their first domestic win of the season.
With the Reds’ attacking threat and Palace’s porous defence, a big win for the hosts could lead the Eagles rock bottom of the table this weekend – Palace are kept off the foot of the table by a single goal.
But after drawing 3-3 away to Watford in their opening game, can Liverpool actually deliver?
Liverpool have banished their Palace demons
Crystal Palace were a real bogey side for Liverpool 18 months ago, having frequently given the Reds a tough game regardless of venue. It all started in the 2013/14 season when the London club had returned to the Premier League.
Liverpool were challenging for the title and had beaten Palace 3-1 in the home tie. The return fixture, however, was iconic for it all but ruling the Reds out of title race – 3-3ft at Selhurst Park, after Liverpool went 3-0 up inside of the hour mark. For the two years that followed, Palace continued to hurt Liverpool.
8/11/15 (Premier League) Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace
16/5/15 (Premier League) Liverpool 1-3 Crystal Palace
14/2/15 (FA Cup) Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
23/11/14 (Premier League) Crystal Palace 3-1 Liverpool
5/5/14 (Premier League) Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool
5/10/13 (Premier League) Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace
However, Liverpool are coming off the back of three wins from their last four head-to-heads with Palace which will give them great confidence of picking up all three points.
19/7/17 (Premier League Asia Trophy) Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace
23/4/17 (Premier League) Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace
29/10/16 (Premier League) Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool
6/3/16 (Premier League) Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Contrasting formbook favours a Liverpool win
Ahead of Saturday’s meeting between Liverpool and Crystal Palace, Jurgen Klopp’s side have been in fantastic form this summer and formidable on home soil in the last 12 months. In pre-season, Liverpool have beaten Sydney FC, Tranmere Rovers, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Hertha Berlin, Bayern Munich, and Athletic Bilbao, drawing with Wigan Athletic and Atletico Madrid in normal time.
The Merseysiders have also won five and drawn three of their last nine home games, facing sides such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Everton among others. As for the visitors, Crystal Palace, who ended the last league season with five defeats from six, have managed just one win in their last five in all competitions and can’t buy a win on the road.
The Eagles have lost three of their last four away games in the Premier League, winning just four times on the road since September 2016. Liverpool are 2/5 to win against Crystal Palace in Saturday’s meeting as a result, and could pick up a big win to send the Eagles bottom of the table after two games.
