Graphic by @FinPSD
Match Details: Premier League, 14/04/2024, 14:00 Kick Off, Anfield
Crystal Palace head to Anfield in need of a result for their survival hopes
Crystal Palace will be hoping for another positive performance following last week’s game at Selhurst Park against title-holders Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side ran out eventual 4-2 winners, with their quality shining through to push them over the line.
This result against City leaves Palace with one win in nine games, with very few opportunities remaining to add to what is a dismal points tally. This form has given people reason to worry about being dragged into a late relegation battle, which is far from what is expected from the Palace fans.
A visit to Anfield is not going to be easy for Palace. The Eagles have not won here since 2017, and given the season both sides are having, this is highly unlikely to change. One positive for Oliver Glasner’s side is the fact that Liverpool are coming into the game on the back of a 3-0 loss to Atalanta in the Europa League. This result shows that Anfield is not necessarily the ‘fortress’ it has been in recent seasons.
Liverpool took the chance on Thursday night to rest a number of their strongest starting eleven, which ultimately backfired, but still leaves the Reds with an opportunity to field a stronger team against Palace than they did against the Italians. Jurgen Klopp’s team will be looking to end the Premier League season on a high, with a potential title win to bring the German’s time in Merseyside to a successful close.
Early team news
For Liverpool, Alisson is expected to return to the side. The Reds will be without key player Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is still recovering from a knee injury. Ben Doak will also be unavailable for this match. Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara are out for the season, and will not feature at Anfield.
For Palace, Cheick Doucoure is still missing, with the Malian still recovering from the achilles injury suffered earlier in the season. The Eagles will also be without Rob Holding, Sam Johnstone, Marc Guehi and Chris Richards. This injury list gives Glasner a selection headache, especially in the backline. One man who could be back for Palace is the Dutchman Jairo Reidewald. He has not started since the FA Cup replay at Goodison Park in mid-January, but his return gives Glasner another option in defensive positions. He could work well in the three-back system that has been integrated since the departure of Roy Hodgson.
Cal's analysis
Liverpool are a team who prefer a game to be more chaotic rather than in control like their title rivals do, being happy to take more risks in the hope the reward will benefit them. They also put more trust in their defensive minded players to break up play if they are caught in a transition.
Liverpool defend vs Atalanta (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)
In possession, Liverpool tend to set up in a 3-2-2-3, with Conor Bradley or Joe Gomez creating a double pivot in midfield with Endo or McAlister, and the opposite full-back forming a back three with the two central defenders. The other two midfielders look to get into the half space to feed balls through to the front three or create a chance for themselves.
Both of the wide forwards for Liverpool will look to maintain width, (something previously done by the full-backs) before cutting in for a shooting or crossing opportunity to Darwin Nunez. What happens when Salah or Diaz go wider is a larger gap between the opposition full-back and centre back, creating space for one of the advanced 8’s to exploit.
Out of possession Liverpool adopt a high press not necessarily to create a chance but to limit the opponents chances of building up the pitch. This means however Liverpool like to play a high line and condense the field and limit passing options.
When playing a high line that leaves space in behind, an area Palace took advantage of within three minutes against Manchester City. Expect to see a similar set up from Oliver Glasner this weekend, but with Micheal Olise getting closer to a starting spot Palace can hopefully have more joy going forward.
Player to watch: Darwin Nuñez
Darwin Nunez is an unpredictable player, and on his day is impossible to deal with. The Uruguayan has been described by many on social media as a ‘chaos footballer.’
If on form, Nunez will cause issues for the Palace backline, and whichever defender is tasked with defending him will surely have their hands full. Darwin Nunez has picked up 11 goals and eight assists in 29 Premier League appearances this season (20 starts). Barring the Atalanta game on Thursday, Darwin is in fine form and is likely to be full of confidence going into the game against Palace on Sunday.
Darwin Nuñez stands over Joachim Andersen (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Another key aspect of Nunez's game is his ability to drift out onto the wings, as well as operating as the main number nine in the Liverpool squad. This unpredictability makes Nunez even harder to deal with, as he could pop up in any position at any time to contribute to an attack for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
If Palace have any chance of a result against Liverpool, then keeping Nunez quiet will be vital. Liverpool’s number nine is likely to have a high number of shots if his stats this season are anything to go by, so the defensive line and Dean Henderson in goal will need to be on top of their game to stop him.
Predicted lineups
Liverpool: Allison, Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson, Endo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Ward, Andersen, Lerma, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Ayew, Eze, Mateta
Match officials
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan
Fourth Official: Keith Stroud
VAR: Michael Oliver
Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt