Crystal Palace v Liverpool Preview – Reds to take 3 points at 8/1

Categories: Football | Published by: AC

28/10/2016

Updated: 31/01/2023

Crystal Palace v Liverpool preview and predictions.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool Preview and Analysis

There's little doubt that Liverpool will go in for the kill at Selhurst Park when they meet Crystal Palace on Saturday. They would definitely like to close the goal difference gap of two with Manchester City with whom they share equal points on the Premier League table but are a couple of places behind thanks to the inferior goal average. For Crystal Palace, it will be a time to salvage their shattered morale after a 1-3 defeat against Leicester at King Power stadium last weekend.

Palace's wins have been achieved only against much weaker opponents like Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Sunderland and they will really need to get their act together if they are to stave off a mauling at the hands of the visiting Reds.

The Eagles have slipped off the top half of the table and are now on the 11th spot with just 11 points to show on the board.

Top Scorers Analysis

Christian Benteke, Palace's top scorer with three goals this season, will be facing his former club who sold him to Selhurst Park for £32m. Alan Pardew will depend on the 25-year old Kinshasa-born striker to produce goals and on the defence comprising of Joel Ward, James Tomkins and Damien Delaney to prevent a rampaging Liverpool from scoring. The absence of Scott Dan, out due to injury since September has been seriously felt by Palace upfront. Dann, another top scorer along with Benteke shares three goals to his credit. Crystal Palace have managed just two goals in their last three outings in his absence.

Of concern to Jurgen Klopp has been the poor form of his star striker Daniel Sturridge who is in the midst of a goal drought. With the likes Coutinho, Firminio and Sadio Mane in such goal-scoring form, a case for a Sturridge comeback seemed to be weakening by the day. But a double strike by the talented 27-year old English striker in the Reds’ 2-1 EFL Cup win against Tottenham on Tuesday may have done quite a lot to put Klopp’s fears at rest.

Since their shock 0-2 defeat to Burnley in August, the Reds who have been unbeaten in 7 Premier League games of which they have won five.

On the other hand, since their entry back into the Premier League in 2013-14 after 8 seasons, the Eagles have, in fact, managed to beat Liverpool on 3 of the 7 occasions they have met in. But given their current form, Jurgen Klopp's men aren't likely to be daunted by such statistics, which is why the odds are heavily stacked in their favour.