Liverpool’s push for Champions League qualification faces a fresh test against Crystal Palace, with third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman expected to continue after a sudden Premier League debut in the Merseyside derby, while Arne Slot’s team also look to respond to recent home struggles against Palace at Anfield.

Woodman stepped in on 58 minutes during Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Everton, replacing injured Giorgi Mamardashvili, and now appears set for more minutes as Mamardashvili recovers on the sidelines and Alisson targets a return against Manchester United on 3 May.

Mamardashvili is likely to miss around two weeks after colliding with Beto, who had brought Everton level, so Woodman, signed from Preston North End in the summer, is suddenly central to Liverpool’s plans as Slot’s side, currently fifth in the Premier League, prepare to host Palace on Saturday.

Andy Robertson stressed that Woodman has earned trust within the squad, saying to LFCTV: “Look, I take the mickey out of him a lot, and we always have a laugh and a joke, but he is a credit to himself,” before explaining how Woodman regularly stays behind with Mohamed Salah for extra penalty work and supports team-mates in post-match running sessions.

Robertson highlighted the value of squad players who rarely attract headlines, adding that figures like Woodman often go unnoticed at a club of Liverpool’s size, yet the welcome in the dressing room after the derby showed appreciation, and Robertson also praised Woodman’s composure and ability with the ball under pressure.

Crystal Palace arrive at Anfield after a goalless draw against West Ham that almost ended hopes of qualifying for Europe through the league, although the Conference League still offers a route, with Shakhtar Donetsk awaiting Oliver Glasner’s side in the semi-finals as Palace manage a demanding schedule.

Glasner’s team are unbeaten in four Premier League matches, with two wins and two draws, their joint-second longest run this season after a six-game unbeaten start, and Glasner felt they should have taken more than a point against West Ham, saying: “Maybe both [a good and bad point]. At the end, I felt we were closer to winning than losing, but on the other side, with all the circumstances and how good West Ham are, the performance was absolutely OK. It was not our best performance. In the final third, maybe we were not clinical enough; we had many crosses that were not accurate. I felt that we had a bit more energy at the end, which is strange because of how many games we have played. That is what I really liked, the commitment of the team.”

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace players to watch

Salah’s form will again be central for Liverpool, as Salah has scored in three successive Premier League starts, after managing only two goals across the previous 14, and if Salah scores in this match at age 33 years and 314 days, Salah will match Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievement as the last player of at least that age to score in four straight Premier League starts, which Ronaldo did at 37 years and 86 days in May 2022.

For Palace, Ismaila Sarr continues to trouble Liverpool’s defence, with goals in each of Sarr’s last four appearances against Liverpool in all competitions, five goals in total, and in English football Sarr has only scored more often against Aston Villa, with eight goals, compared with seven against Liverpool, so Sarr will target further success at Anfield.

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace prediction, records and key statistics

Opta’s model still rates Liverpool as favourites despite recent results, even though Liverpool have failed to win any of their last three league home matches against Palace, drawing two and losing one, after previously winning five straight league meetings at Anfield.

Across Liverpool’s last 10 Premier League fixtures, six have ended in victory, with one draw and three defeats, a stronger run than the previous 18 league matches, which returned five wins, six draws and seven defeats, and this improved form comes alongside a striking pattern of late drama, as Liverpool’s league matches this season have featured nine winning goals scored in the 90th minute or later, four for Liverpool and five against, the highest such total for any team’s games in a single Premier League campaign.

Palace, who beat Liverpool 2-1 earlier this season, are aiming for their first league double over the reigning champions, having scored exactly twice in each of their last five Premier League matches against the title-holders, and Manchester City remain the only club to score at least twice in six consecutive league games against the champions, which happened between September 2013 and May 2017.

History also offers Palace an incentive, as the club target a third league double over Liverpool, after managing it in 1991-92 and 2014-15, and Palace could become the first side since Arsenal in 2006-07 to defeat Liverpool twice at Anfield in one season, following their earlier EFL Cup victory.

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Opta win probability

Opta’s supercomputer ratings underline Liverpool’s stronger position, though Palace retain a significant chance and the draw remains possible. The probabilities for the three outcomes are shown below and reflect current form, injuries, home advantage and past meetings between Liverpool and Palace.

{TABLE_1}

Across both camps, the focus now falls on whether Woodman can maintain calm in goal, whether Salah and Sarr extend their scoring runs, and whether Palace’s recent unbeaten sequence can overcome Liverpool’s statistical edge and high late-goal count as both clubs chase crucial objectives in league and European competition.