Liverpool vs Palace live on May 23, 2021: Will the Reds secure a top-four finish or collapse on the final day?

May 22, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV SCHEDULES, LIVERPOOL, CRYSTAL PALACE, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

The Reds' final game of the season will see them host the Eagles at Anfield. Here's a preview of Sunday's Liverpool vs Crystal Palace tie.

Preview

Liverpool are gearing up for their final game of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, and what a final round it promises to be! The Reds will be facing Crystal Palace in what should be a straight-forward fixture for the Merseyside giants but the stakes in this tie is the key traction as Jurgen Klopp's men look to secure UEFA Champions League football in a season in which they appeared destined to finish outside the top four.

After losing six games in eight outings between February and March, Salah and Co. looked like a side headed for Europa League football at best next season. However, the Anfield outfit turned things around in the final stretch, winning their last four league games and going unbeaten in their last nine fixtures (W7, D2).

The Reds, most recently, won 4-2 at Man United to end their long-running Old Trafford hoodoo before a stoppage-time Alisson header secured a 2-1 victory at West Brom. Then came a trip to Burnley, which Liverpool handled with ease, brushing aside Sean Dyche's men 3-0.

As a result, the Merseyside giants leapfrogged Leicester into fourth thanks to the Foxes' 2-1 defeat at Chelsea during the midweek. This means Klopp's men simply need to match Leicester's final-day result in order to secure a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League.

Worst case scenario, Liverpool draw or lose against Crystal Palace and thus get overtaken by Brendan Rodgers' side. However, this will require a victory from Vardy and Co. at home to Tottenham, which will be no easy feat. Furthermore, the fact that the Reds' fate is in their hands is a huge boost as they will not need favorable results elsewhere in order to finish in the top four.

As for Crystal Palace, they would love to rain on the parade at Anfield. The Eagles recently lost 3-1 to Arsenal in their final home game of the season but will be looking to bounce back. Victory would be a memorable send-off for Roy Hodgson as the vastly-experienced Selhurst Park manager is set to lead the club for the last time, having announced his decision to retire from the beautiful game. Do not miss this tie.

Team news

Liverpool: Foot injury rules out Diogo Jota for this tie, while Ozan Kabak is also set to miss this fixture due to a muscle problem. Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Ben Davies are Klopp's other absentees, with Naby Keita being doubtful for this tie.

Crystal Palace: The likes of Eze, Sakh, McArthur, Wickham, and Mitchell are all out due to injuries. Guaita returned in the defeat to Arsenal and will be available once again.

Key stats

Crystal Palace have lost every single one of their last seven encounters with Liverpool, scoring only five while conceding a whopping 22 times.
The Reds have won the last game of the season in each of the last four EPL campaigns.
Sadio Mane has scored in each of his last seven encounters with the Eagles and will be looking to become the first player to score in eight games in a row against a single team since Robin van Persie vs Stoke.