English Premier
2026-04-25 - Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 25th April 2026 - Kick Off 3pm
Liverpool
Winning the first Merseyside derby played at Hill Dickinson Stadium will give the Liverpool fans bragging rights for a long time and the late Virgil van Dijk goal has just eased the pressure on Arne Slot. Reports have indicated that the Liverpool board are going to give the Dutchman another season at the helm as long as he guides them back into the Champions League and the victory over Everton has put The Reds in a strong position to do that.
They are 5th in the Premier League table eleven months after winning the title, but that is a position that will be rewarded with Champions League Football and Liverpool are 7 points clear of Chelsea in 6th place. The gap could be closer at kick off, but Liverpool will be focusing on their own results and they have a solid 9-4-3 record at Anfield in the Division.
Liverpool had lost 4 of the previous 5 games in all competitions and were seconds away from having to settle for a draw last Sunday, but the late winner will have given the entire squad a lift. The side have been unbeaten in 5 at home in all competitions and had won 4 of those matches, but the run was ended in an unfortunate 0-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg.
Alisson is a doubt and the same can be said for Giorgi Mamardashvili, which means Liverpool could be down to third choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman who came on as a sub last weekend. Joe Gomez is another doubt, while Hugo Ekitike is set for a significant spell on the sidelines.
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner is keeping one eye on the Conference League with Crystal Palace into the Semi Final of that competition and winning the trophy meaning another season in UEFA Football next season. The silverware means more to the departing manager and the Crystal Palace players and fans, but they have to balance domestic commitments with the European ones.
Another point was produced in the goalless draw with West Ham United on Monday night and that means Crystal Palace are 13th in the Premier League table and with an outside chance of earning a return to European Football through the League finish. The Eagles can be dangerous away from home where they have a 7-2-6 record in the English top flight.
Crystal Palace have only lost 1 of the last 8 games in all competitions and even that narrow loss at Fiorentina in the Conference League Quarter Final Second Leg did not prevent progress into the last four. They have won 1 of the last 5 away games in all competitions and Crystal Palace have suffered a couple of defeats in that run.
Adam Wharton is unlikely to be risked, while the manager has rotated his squad for the Premier League and Conference League fixtures. Oliver Glasner may give the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta more minutes having used both as subs on Monday.
Prediction
An injury time winner helped Crystal Palace to a 2-1 home success against Liverpool in the Premier League, while they have beaten them in the Community Shield on Penalties and League Cup at Anfield this season.
Liverpool have had recent problems against Crystal Palace and have not won any of the last 4 at home against them in all competitions, while drawing 2 of the last 3 League games at Anfield.
Prediction
In recent years, Liverpool have found the intensity of Crystal Palace under Oliver Glasner as a difficult test to overcome, but they could benefit from the scheduling of this Premier League game.
There was a slight dip in the intensity when Crystal Palace hosted West Ham United on Monday and the focus is very much the Conference League and earning a spot in the Final of that competition at the end of May.
The First Leg of the Semi Final is being played during the week and so Glasner may choose to rotate his starters and ensure all of his key players are ready to compete in that tie coming up.
With that being said, Crystal Palace could be under immediate pressure from Liverpool if they do start as slowly as they did in the last Premier League game. This may not be Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and the high-press energy they would bring from the first whistle, but Arne Slot's team have been in decent form here before the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Momentum is also with Liverpool after the very late winning goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Merseyside derby last Sunday and that cannot be ignored. It would have been a result that gives everyone a lift and also pushes Liverpool into a strong position to earn a return to the Champions League, which is likely going to keep Arne Slot in charge of the club for another campaign.
Having Mo Salah back on the scoresheet is a positive and the time and focus that Liverpool can put into this fixture does give them an edge.
The home team could need to use a third string goalkeeper in this game, but Freddie Woodman was rarely troubled after coming on in the derby.
You have to respect Crystal Palace's recent record against Liverpool, but you have to question the motivation and the home team may be able to exploit that in front of the supporters at Anfield.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace
