Fresh from a record-breaking evening in the Champions League, Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, squaring up to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the lunchtime kickoff.
The Reds survived a few scares to defeat Bologna 2-0 in midweek, while the flightless Eagles became Everton's first victims of the Premier League season last time out.
Match preview
© Imago
Whether Arne Slot will ever achieve the Merseyside fame of Jurgen Klopp, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley only the coming years will tell, but the Dutchman has already achieved a feat that not a single one of his Reds predecessors could manage.
By masterminding a two-goal triumph over Bologna on Wednesday evening, where Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah netted either side of the half-time whistle, Slot became the first-ever Liverpool manager to win eight of his first nine matches in charge across all competitions.
The ex-Feyenoord boss admitted that Liverpool did not have it all their own way against the spirited Rossoblu, and the same was true against Wolverhampton Wanderers in last weekend's Premier League contest, but a 2-1 triumph was enough to send the Reds to the summit.
Victory on Saturday lunchtime would temporarily move Liverpool four points clear of both Arsenal and Manchester City in the gold medal position, and Slot's crop have now won each of their last five games on the bounce, netting 15 goals at an average rate of three per match.
Not since their title-winning 2019-20 season have the visitors won their first four away games of a Premier League season, and Slot could now become just the fourth manager in competition history to prevail in his first four away fixtures, after Felipe Scolari, John Gregory and Bobby Gould.
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Speaking of managers who made a phenomenal impact upon their arrival in the Premier League, Crystal Palace were a team revitalised under the wing of Europa League-winning boss Oliver Glasner last season, but the Eagles have evidently had their wings clipped over the summer.
Last weekend's trip to fellow winless side Everton appeared to be a prime opportunity for Palace to finally get off the mark for the new season, and Marc Guehi's 10th-minute opener set Glasner's men on their way to that objective, but the determined Dwight McNeil turned the tide with a quickfire second-half brace.
In spite of Palace's lowly standing in the Premier League table - the Eagles sit 18th, below Leicester City on goals scored - Glasner's job is not believed to be under any immediate threat thanks to his credit in the bank from last season, as well as EFL Cup beatings of Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers.
However, the historical omens are not promising for Palace, who have only ever failed to win their first seven games of a Premier League season four times, and they were relegated from the top flight in three of those instances, most recently in 2004-05.
If there is any crumb of encouragement for the Selhurst Park faithful, it is undoubtedly their shock 1-0 Anfield triumph in April's Premier League showdown, but it has been nearly a full decade since Liverpool last lost a top-flight game on Crystal Palace's turf, a 3-1 defeat in November 2014.
Team News
© Imago
Good things came in threes for Liverpool boss Slot on Wednesday evening, as Darwin Nunez returned from illness to lead the line, while Diogo Jota and Andy Robertson also shook off recent knocks to feature in the Champions League win.
However, Federico Chiesa was absent from the squad in midweek with an unexplained issue and is uncertain for the trip to Selhurst Park as well, while Harvey Elliott's foot fracture will not heal until after the international break either.
After becoming the first-ever Liverpool man to score in five straight Champions League home games, Salah is chasing history once again on Saturday, where he could become the first Premier League player to score in a team's first four away games of a season in two separate campaigns.
As for hosts Palace, Chadi Riad (knee), Christopher Richards (thigh) and Cheick Doucoure (toe) are all in the infirmary, while ex-Arsenal defender Rob Holding is also out of the picture due to his alleged falling-out with Glasner.
Brazilian attacker Matheus Franca was initially looking good for a return from a broken rib this weekend, but the 20-year-old has now picked up a fresh groin problem and is unlikely to play again in 2024.
Trevoh Chalobah was an unused substitute in the defeat to Everton following his own injury and may belatedly earn his first minutes in a Palace shirt this week, while Ismaila Sarr might threaten Eddie Nketiah's spot in the final third.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Lerma, Guehi, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Nketiah, Mateta, Eze
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota
We say: Crystal Palace 0-2 Liverpool
While Palace can often rock up to Anfield and spring a surprise, the Eagles seldom outwit Liverpool on their own patch, and 38 goals conceded at home to the Reds is their most against a single opponent in the Premier League.
That figure should hit 40 on Saturday, as even if Slot's men show a touch of fatigue, the Dutchman is blessed with several competent options for change and will likely be celebrating going four points clear at the full-time whistle.
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Ben Knapton
