- Paul Merson predicts Liverpool vs Palace
- Palace can necome first team to beat Reds four times in one season
- Where piorities lie for Oliver Glasner
Former Premier League player Paul Merson has predicted this weekend’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Crystal Palace, casting his thoughts on the fourth matchup between the two sides this season.
Palace travel to Anfield on Saturday to face a Liverpool side who ran out 2-1 winners in last weekend’s Merseyside Derby, the first at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Oliver Glasner has already orchestrated three wins over the Reds this season, including the Community Shield which Palace won via a Justin Devenny penalty.
Palace have the better of the last ten games between the sides, with four wins compared to Liverpool’s three.
In their last trip to Anfield, Palace ran out 3-0 winners in a comfortable Carabao Cup tie against a youthful Liverpool side.
Merson’s Prediction
Last weekend, a West Ham win was tabled by Merson, as he cited Palace’s supposed lack of focus towards the Premier League. A 0-0 stalemate suggested that whilst not entirely incorrect, Palace certainly aren’t withdrawing all of their eggs from the domestic basket.
“I can’t see anything but a Liverpool win here”, he claimed in his weekly column with sportskeeda.
“Palace have a big game coming up in the Europa Conference League against Shakhtar Donetsk next Thursday.” – Paul Merson.
Despite repeated claims from Glasner and numerous players that the Eagles are adamant in their view of the remaining Premier League fixtures, pundits continue to persist with the narrative that European football is the sole priority.
“Honestly, Palace’s season depends entirely on their next two Thursdays”, he continued. “They have done enough to stay up in the Premier League and should now put all their eggs in one basket to try and win that trophy!”
Whilst his assessment of Palace’s domestic campaign is true, Palace are still within touching distance of the European places.
Perhaps the boldest claim from the former Arsenal man was that “Palace won’t win another Premier League game this season.”
Glasner’s side still have six remaining league fixtures, and with the form the side has seen recently it would certainly be surprising if that prediction was to come true,
Merson’s score prediction for the game was a 3-0 victory for Arne Slot’s men.
Palace’s chance to earn a record-breaking win
No side has ever beaten Liverpool four times in a single campaign, and so Palace do have the opportunity to disrupt that fact,
Unbeaten in their last four competitive visits to Anfield, with two draws and two wins, the Eagles will be hoping to extend their impressive record on Merseyside.
Three points could see Palace climb as high as 11th, potentially closing the gap to the top seven to just three points, with their game in hand still remaining.
Of course, Liverpool will be desperate to disrupt this haunting run against Glasner’s side, and a win for them would all but confirm Champions League football for next season.
However you assess this game, Merson’s prediction of a 3-0 whitewash feels somewhat outlandish.
That being said, this is a side who once put 7 past Palace during Covid, so anything can happen.
