When Liverpool head to South London on November 8, they might find a very different Crystal Palace side waiting for them.
Crystal Palace will be without influential striker Jean-Philippe Mateta for their forthcoming Premier League meeting with Liverpool. The Frenchman is due to serve a three-match domestic ban after being sent off during Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Mateta was dismissed after only 13 minutes in North London, following a late challenge on Spurs captain Micky van de Ven.
From a Reds perspective, you can’t understate how much this changes the picture for Pierre Sage side and potentially simplifies the defensive task for Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet Mateta is the battering ram that makes Palace’s front foot style tick. Without him, the dynamic shifts entirely.
The Flashpoint at Tottenham
The match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium unravelled inside the opening quarter of an hour for the Eagles.
The flashpoint came as Van de Ven reached a loose ball ahead of his opponent before a late tackle caught him and also brought down Spurs teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.
Referee Michael Oliver first showed a yellow card, but VAR intervened and recommended an on-field review.
After watching the footage, Oliver changed his decision to a straight red for serious foul play, leaving the visitors to play more than 75 minutes with ten men.
The dismissal came shortly after Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky had kept out Palace’s first genuine opportunity of the evening.
It was a rash moment that completely altered the afternoon for Palace, forcing them into a defensive 5-3-1 shell for over an hour before ultimately succumbing 2-0.
What Mateta’s Absence Means for Palace and Liverpool
The timing is particularly unfortunate for Mateta, who had only recently returned from injury and was left out of the club’s midweek cup tie to manage his workload.
Without a powerful focal point like Mateta, Palace lose a vital reference in an attacking system built around his presence.
The former Mainz loanee was the club’s leading league scorer last season and has scored 50 top-flight goals since joining in January 2021.
For Liverpool fans, Selhurst Park is rarely a comfortable afternoon, but Mateta’s suspension removes Palace’s primary out-ball under pressure. When teams press high against Palace, Mateta’s ability to hold up play, pin centre-backs, and win aerial duels is what allows their midfield to push up. Without that physical focal point, Liverpool can play a higher defensive line with far less risk of being dragged into a physical brawl.
How can Crystal Palace cope with Liverpool?
Although his start to the current campaign has been disrupted, Palace still have options capable of troubling the Merseyside side.
Eddie Nketiah is likely to lead the attack after recently scoring the winning goal in a cup tie without Mateta, while Ismaila Sarr is set to shoulder more of the attacking responsibility.
Nketiah brings a completely different threat more mobility, sharper playing off the shoulder, and quick combination play in tight spaces. Combined with Ismaila Sarr’s raw pace out wide, Palace may look to hit Liverpool on rapid counter-attacks rather than playing through a target man.
The Palace forward’s absence is a significant setback for the Eagles ahead of the daunting visit from title-chasing Reds on November 8. But as any Liverpool supporter who has watched matches at Selhurst Park over the years will tell you, a wounded Palace team with pace on the counter is never a side to take lightly.
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