- Crystal Palace face Liverpool on Saturday (April 25)
- The Eagles last Anfield win was a famous one
- Oliver Glasner cost Jurgen Klopp the Premier League title
Crystal Palace make the trip to Anfield on Saturday (April 25th), looking to replicate their shock win from April 2024. Jurgen Klopp was eager to end his nine-year reign at Liverpool with a Premier League title ahead of that game.
That didn’t happen, though, as the Reds were handed a huge blow to their title hopes when Oliver Glasner’s men took all three points. It was just the fourth time the Eagles had won in front of the Kop in the Premier League.
Palace’s win was the first time in eight years they left Merseyside victorious. It’ll forever be a game that Liverpool fans look back on with regret.
Crystal Palace Shock Klopp and The Kop
Glasner hadn’t made the best of starts as Palace manager following his appointment in February. He won his first game, overseeing a 3-0 win against Burnley.
But then came a run of five games without a win, including defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester City. There was slight pressure on the Austrian, given that his side was faltering.
That’s why Liverpool were heavy favourites to win on the day, knowing they were playing just the final two months of the Klopp era. Nobody really expected Palace to head to Anfield and spoil the party.
Eberechi Eze bagged the winner, firing home his seventh goal of the season after getting on the end of Tyrick Mitchell’s cross. The hosts tried to respond and Wataru Endo hit the bar but Glasner’s men could have been further ahead.
A slip from Virgil van Dijk nearly ended as it did for Steven Gerrard back in April 2014 against Chelsea. Jean Philippe-Mateta rounded Alisson Becker, but his attempt was cleared off the line by Andy Robertson.
Palace held on and clinched all three points and handed Liverpool their first loss in the league at home since October 2022. That is a statistic that doesn’t get enough recognition, given what was at stake on the day.
This result ultimately cost Klopp a fairytale farewell as the Reds fell two points behind leaders Manchester City in the title race. But for Glasner, it was the start of something special, a building block towards the greatest era in the club’s history.
Glasner Gamechanger
Glasner spoke positively about what he saw on the day and his analysis is how he’s assessed his team throughout his spell in charge. He told BBC Match of the Day:
“We can say we did it our way, you can always lose here, but it’s about being able to express yourself and play with confidence. We cleared many situations under pressure with one, two touch. We scored an amazing goal. It’s about confidence, team spirit, passion.”
That team spirit only grew, and so too did the performances and the results under Glasner. The following year, his side marched to the FA Cup final and enjoyed the best day in club history.
A 1-0 win over Manchester City, courtesy of another Eze winner, handed the Eagles their first major trophy. It’s fair to say that the Liverpool win was something of a catalyst for the South Londoners’ most successful era.
