Crystal Palace host Premier League title-chasing Liverpool at Selhurst Park.
Victory would put Palace up to 12th ahead of the mid-afternoon kick-offs, whilst Liverpool can go top until Saturday teatime with a win.
Team News
Tyrick Mitchell is unlikely to feature for Crystal Palace after he suffered a hip injury in their midweek loss to Bournemouth.
Dean Henderson (muscle), Rob Holding (ankle), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (hamstring), Cheick Docoure (Achilles) and Eberechi Eze (ankle) remain absent.
Liverpool could be without Alexis Mac Allister after he suffered a knee injury in their win at Sheffield United.
Alisson, Diogo Jota (both muscle),, Joel Matip (ACL), Andrew Robertson (shoulder), Stefan Bajcetic (calf) and Thiago Alcantara (hip) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Palace host Liverpool at Selhurst Park in a 12:30pm GMT kick-off on Saturday 9 December, live on TNT Sport 1 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Crystal Palace are winless in their last 12 league meetings against Liverpool (D2, L10).
- Liverpool have claimed 22 points in their last eight visits to Palace (W7, D1).
- Crystal Palace have failed to keep two consecutive clean sheets at home to Liverpool in the Premier League.
- None of Palace’s 14 league goals this season have been scored from a header.
- Dominik Szoboszlai has registered more touches on the ball than any other Liverpool player in the league this season, with 1,146 touches in 15 appearances.
Prediction
With just one win in their last eight matches and a lacklustre performance bereft of much quality in their defeat to Bournemouth, Palace certainly need to start finding their spark especially because they will need to realistically score first if want anything from this game.
Their defending though was just as sloppy with two goals conceded from unmarked headers, which is a worry given that they had played well at West Ham last weekend – and often dominant in spells at times so I would like to see more of that performance here.
Liverpool meanwhile weren’t exactly at their vintage best against an awful Sheffield Utd defence which surprisingly showed more solidness following Chris Wilder’s return, yet Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were more clinical and didn’t underestimate the Blades as easy to of have done.
Now if Liverpool can take confidence from that result and first domestic clean sheet on the road this season, I can see them extending their strong record at Palace unless the Eagles deliver a dramatic improvement in performance which looks unlikely unless there is a moment of magic.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool
Result: Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool