Team News
The hosts have named an fresh side, with the vast bulk of regular starters given the night off. Kerkez, desperate to play himself into some form, is the only player to keep his place after the 3-2 defeat at Brentford last weekend. Backup shot-stopper Freddie Woodman and teenage wide player the winger earn maiden appearances, while the starting XI also includes young attacker Rio Ngumoha and 18-year-old midfielder Nyoni. Nobody on their bench is above 21 years; Kaide Gordon is the reserve with senior exposure with nine first-team outings on his resumé.
The London club by contrast retain six players from the team deployed for the narrow loss at Arsenal on Sunday. Marc Guéhi, The centre-back, Daniel Muñoz, Sarr, Yéremy Pino and Kamada all keep their places. The Senegalese international has a handful of strikes against Liverpool in eight appearances for Palace and Watford, while one of the players making an appearance, the striker, got the match-winning strike when the teams met at Selhurst Park last month.
Match Squads
The Reds: Freddie Woodman, The right-back, The youngster, Gomez, Robertson, Endo, The defender, The winger, Alexis Mac Allister, Ngumoha, The forward.
Substitutes: Pecsi, Kaide Gordon, Pilling, The talent, Pinnington, The defender, Nallo, The player, The reserve.
Crystal Palace: Benitez, Canvot, Lacroix, Guehi, The full-back, Will Hughes, Kamada, Sosa, Sarr, The winger, The striker.
Substitutes: Henderson, Tyrick Mitchell, The midfielder, Uche, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Nathaniel Clyne, The youngster, The talent, Cardines.
Match referee: Craig Pawson (Yorkshire).
Fixture Context
The home side have historically found the Eagles as challenging rivals. Not exactly always – they have more victories – but when the London club perform a hit on the hosts, they strike hard, and hit hard. The 1990 FA Cup semi-final. The 2014 thriller. The recent curtain-raiser. Last month’s fixture that triggered this astonishing collapse of Arne Slot’s champion side, the beginning of a poor run in a string of losses.
Include another set of results into the mix. Of the previous fixtures between the clubs, Palace have secured three victories (we’re counting the charity match as a win), the Reds just two wins. Alarming for the hosts are the latest outcomes at Anfield: Palace have triumphed once and tied twice of the most recent trio. The Londoners have a distinct advantage over tonight’s hosts at the moment.
Having said all that, the away side are in a dip in form of their own. They’ve lost three of their recent games in every tournament, not securing a win domestically since that previously mentioned loss-inducing Liverpool’s trip to their home. So here are both clubs who would benefit from a bolt of season-reviving energy. Such a scenario should give us a decent opportunity of some thrilling football tonight, though any season-defining impact may hinge on what lineups the two managers decide to select; it’s not expected to be established starters. The teams will be revealed about that soon enough. The match begins is at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!