These two clubs have both started well and find themselves in the top half of the table, which gives them a platform to push on over the winter. Liverpool will have hopes of pushing for the top four, especially with Jurgen Klopp at the club and the performance that they gave against Chelsea. Meanwhile, Alan Pardew has continued to do a good job at Selhurst Park and they will be boosted after getting better of the goalless draw against Manchester United. The South London club will be aiming for another impressive finish and the top eight is certainly a possibility.
Jurgen Klopp has taken the helm at Liverpool with a huge reputation after the incredible job he did with Borussia Dortmund. His appointment has risen expectations on Merseyside and the win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will only have increased those. This home match against Crystal Palace represents a real test for the new manager as the pressure will be on them at Anfield and the visitors are a solid outfit. Liverpool will be coming off the back of a Europa League match, which could cause them problems late in the game. Palace have a lot of pace on the counter attack and Liverpool’s defence has been far from strong this season.
The last few weeks have been disappointing with Palace only getting one point from the previous three matches. The point picked up against Manchester United will boost the confidence after successive defeats to Leicester and West Ham, but it will be tough for Palace to go to Anfield and get anything with the Klopp factor still at large. Palace have been somewhat of a bogey side for Liverpool since they were promoted, but Liverpool have a new manager and they will prepare for matches better under Klopp. Palace have had a mixed start to the season, winning five matches and losing five with just one draw. If they find some consistency, they will be serious contenders for the top eight.
In the corresponding fixture at Anfield in the previous season, Alan Pardew led his side to a 3-1 win in Steven Gerrard’s final home game. Adam Lallana opened the scoring, before Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray scored for the visitors. Liverpool also lost by the same scoreline at Selhurst Park after taking the lead, this time through Rickie Lambert. Dwight Gayle, Joe Ledley and Mile Jedinak scored on that day for Palace.
Team News
Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge and Kolo Toure are still a few weeks away from returning to action. Jon Flanagan, Joe Gomez and Danny Ings will be missing for the foreseeable future, which is a blow for the club. Christian Benteke is pushing for a recall after his goal against Chelsea.
Connor Wickham and Pape Souare are both doubts for this weekend, but it will be a boost for the club if they do return. Lee Chung-Yong is also a doubt for the match at Anfield with a knock. Marouane Chamakh will be missing for a couple more weeks with his hamstring injury.
Interesting Stats
Liverpool are undefeated under Jurgen Klopp and have looked significantly better at the back under the German, conceding just 2 goals in three league matches.
After a good start to the season, Palace have won just two of their last seven league matches.
Key Men
Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho was the matchwinner last weekend as he scored two goals to give his side the three points at Stamford Bridge. He is one of the most naturally gifted players in the league and it will be a task for Klopp to find him the perfect role in his team. He has played several roles since joining Liverpool, but in the right role, he has the ability to create chances and score goals. Against Chelsea, Liverpool looked dynamic in attack, which was unplayable at times. Even though the Champions have had problems this season, Liverpool deserve credit for their performance on the day and the Brazilian was central to that. Coutinho hasn’t been consistent this season, which was a problem for Brendan Rodgers, but Klopp has revitalised the midfielder and if he continues to play like this, Liverpool could be serious contenders for the top four. In his ten Premier League games, Coutinho has three goals and two assists, which is a goal contribution every other match. This is a good return for most midfielders in the league, but Coutinho will want to have a bigger impact as he has the quality to be one of the leading players in the division.
Cabaye
Yohan Cabaye has come into Crystal Palace and is having the impact that everybody expected him to have as he still possesses the class that he showed at Newcastle. The spell at PSG will have knocked his confidence and he may never get the chance to show his ability in the Champions League again. He certainly has the quality to make a difference at that level, but Palace are the ones reaping the rewards now. This season, he has added class and technical ability to the club, which has taken Palace to the next level and the type of football they are playing highlights that. He has played in all of the league matches for his new club, scoring four goals and getting one assist. There aren’t many goal-scoring midfielders left in the Premier League, but the Frenchman is capable of getting upwards of ten over the course of a season, and that could be the difference between a top eight spot and just a mid table finish.
Betting
Liverpool are favourites for this weekend and if you want to back them, you can get odds of 7/10 with Paddy Power. If you think that Palace can continue their successful run against Liverpool, BetVictor have odds of 19/4. Meanwhile, Sportingbet have the draw at odds of 3/1.
Verdict
Liverpool have a good feeling surrounding the club at the moment after the appointment of one of the most highly rated coaches in Europe. There are a lot of doubts about Jurgen Klopp, but the last week at Anfield has given a small glimpse into what he can achieve on Merseyside. Liverpool are looking more of a team under the German, both defensively and offensively. Crystal Palace will offer a difficult test for Liverpool as they are excellent on the counter attack and they will get chances at Anfield, but I am backing Liverpool for the win this weekend.
Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace