TEAM NEWS
Crystal Palace have no fresh injury concerns for the visit of Liverpool.
Wilfried Zaha and Joel Ward have overcome the minor injuries they sustained during the defeat at Chelsea.
Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson could miss out for Liverpool because of ankle injuries, while Joel Matip has still not recovered from a knee problem.
Xherdan Shaqiri is an option after two months out with a calf injury, and Joe Gomez is available despite withdrawing from England duty with a knee issue.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@Guymowbray: Whatever happens this weekend, Liverpool will have a healthy lead with over a third of the season played.
A good chunk gone or still to go? Both true, and there are also two sides to any idea that Liverpool’s rhythm might be upset by the international break.
Yes, they played poorly in the first half against Newcastle in September. They still won.
Yes, they were second best at Manchester United in October. They fought to get a point.
Palace will fight hard to get something to end a desperately difficult run of games – and they used to get something regularly at home to Liverpool.
The Reds’ Selhurst Park ‘jinx’ ended a while back though. Their title jinx…?
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson: “I don’t think I can remember a time where I’ve actually played consecutively against all the top teams in the country, but that’s what the fixture list threw up.
“We’re embracing the challenge of it all and up to now I can’t say we’ve done well in terms of the points we’ve collected but I do think we’ve done reasonably well in terms of performances.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: “We don’t think about the title race. The biggest challenge is facing questions about it.
“So far it is a normal season. We play as well as we can and try to get as many points as we can. The challenges are the 26 games we have to play.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Roy Hodgson’s sides are very good at soaking up pressure and hitting teams on the break, but my worry for them here is that they do not have enough firepower to hurt Liverpool.
Prediction: 0-2
Lawro’s full predictions v WWE star Seth Rollins
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Crystal Palace have lost six of the past seven Premier League meetings, including each of the last four.
- Liverpool have won five consecutive away games against Crystal Palace in all competitions, having failed to win any of their previous six at Selhurst Park.
- The Reds have scored 24 Premier League away goals versus Palace, six more than any other team.
Crystal Palace
- Crystal Palace are winless in four Premier League games, conceding two goals each time (D1, L3).
- They could lose three consecutive home league fixtures for the first time in 20 months; that run culminated in a 2-1 defeat by Liverpool.
- This is their 10th consecutive league match in London. No team have ever played 10 successive Premier League games in the same city before.
- Palace are winless in 12 Premier League matches at Selhurst Park against established top-six sides since beating Chelsea in October 2017 (D2, L10).
- Their meagre tally of four goals scored at home this season is the joint-lowest in the Premier League, level with Watford.
- The Eagles have only had four different goalscorers in 2019-20, the fewest in the division. Liverpool, with 13, have had the most.
- Roy Hodgson won only seven of his 20 Premier League matches as Liverpool manager (D4, L9).
- Luka Milivojevic is expected to make his 100th Premier League appearance for Palace.
- Christian Benteke scored nine goals for Liverpool and has managed six goals against them.
Liverpool
- Their eight-point lead is the second biggest after 12 matches of a Premier League season. Manchester United were nine points clear at the same stage in 1993-94.
- Liverpool have lost just one of their past 51 league matches, and none in 29. They are two shy of the club’s longest unbeaten top-flight run, set between May 1987 and March 1988.
- However, the Reds are the only Premier League club without a clean sheet in their past nine games in all competitions.
- They could fail to keep a clean sheet in 10 consecutive matches for the first time since a run of 11 from April to September 2006 under Rafa Benítez.
- Liverpool have won six of the last seven Premier League fixtures in which they conceded the opening goal, including a 4-3 home victory against Crystal Palace in January.
- Sadio Mane has scored seven goals in nine Premier League games against Crystal Palace, including in each of his last four appearances in this fixture.
