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Match Squads

Liverpool are fielding an experimental side, with the vast bulk of first-team players rested. Kerkez, desperate to play himself into some form, is the only player to retain his starting spot after the setback at Brentford last weekend. Backup shot-stopper the goalkeeper and youngster Kieran Morrison are handed first starts, while the lineup also includes 17-year-old winger the forward and teenage midfielder the playmaker. None of the substitutes is older than 21; the substitute is the most experienced sub with nine senior appearances on his record.

The visitors in comparison keep half a dozen from the team sent out for the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday. Marc Guéhi, The centre-back, Muñoz, The winger, Pino and The midfielder all keep their places. He has five goals against the Reds in eight games for Palace and Watford, while one of the players coming into the side, the striker, netted the decisive goal when the teams met at Selhurst last month.

Match Squads

Anfield outfit: Freddie Woodman, Ramsay, Trey Nyoni, Joe Gomez, The left-back, Endo, Milos Kerkez, Morrison, Mac Allister, Ngumoha, Federico Chiesa.
Reserves: Pecsi, Gordon, Pilling, The talent, Pinnington, Figueroa, Nallo, Lucky, Laffey.

Crystal Palace: Benitez, Canvot, The centre-back, Guehi, Daniel Munoz, Hughes, The midfielder, Sosa, Sarr, Pino, Nketiah.
Substitutes: Dean Henderson, Tyrick Mitchell, Lerma, Uche, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Nathaniel Clyne, Esse, Devenny, Cardines.

Match referee: Pawson (The region).

Preamble

Liverpool have often struggled against the Eagles as tricky foes. Not invariably – they’re 36-16 up on wins – but when the London club defeat the Reds, they strike hard, and hit hard. Their 1990 cup meeting. The memorable comeback. This season’s Community Shield. Last month’s fixture that precipitated this dramatic downturn of Liverpool’s title-winning team, their initial defeat in a string of losses.

Now let’s fold another couple of sequences into the mix. Of the recent encounters between the clubs, Palace have triumphed three times (including the season opener as a win), the home side just a pair. What’s even more worrying the Reds are the recent results at their home ground: The Eagles have secured a win and two draws of the previous three. Crystal Palace have a firm grip over Liverpool at the moment.

However, Palace are in a poor run of their own. They’ve lost three of their fixtures in various cups, not securing a win domestically since that earlier described slump-starting visit of Liverpool to their home. So here are a couple of teams who would benefit from a bolt of season-reviving energy. That alone should give us a decent opportunity of some entertaining action tonight, though any season-defining impact may hinge on what sides the two managers decide to field; it’s doubtful to be Premier League first XIs. The teams will be revealed about that in due course. Kick-off is at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!