2022-2023 PL: Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool

All-Time Head-to-Head
-Crystal Palace: 14 wins
-Liverpool: 35 wins
-12 draws

Last 5 Premier League Results
-15 Aug. 2022 (LIV): Liverpool 1, Crystal Palace 1
-22 Jan. 2022 (CP): Liverpool 3, Crystal Palace 1
-18 Sept. 2021 (LIV): Liverpool 3, Crystal Palace 0
-22 May 2021 (LIV): Liverpool 2, Crystal Palace 0
-18 Dec. 2021 (CP): Liverpool 7, Crystal Palace 0

(The Guardian) Preamble
--“It’s not so important what they think when you come in,” Jürgen Klopp once said. “It’s much more important what people think when you leave.” He shared that wisdom on becoming Liverpool manager in 2015.

If that sounds like an introduction to a premature eulogy for Klopp’s Anfield tenure, it is not intended as such. But the end has surely never seemed closer than last Tuesday night on Merseyside, when Klopp’s team were torn apart, outclassed and outplayed by the European champions Real Madrid.

Perhaps that painful humiliation will galvanise Klopp; perhaps it will feed his motivation to renew the squad, to reset collective goals and restore things to the levels of 2019 and 2020. Or maybe, when all is said and done, it will be recognised as the most significant milestone on a gradual descent.

We will know a little more in a few hours, after Liverpool have attempted to find a way past Patrick Vieira’s progressive, skilful yet under-performing (or certainly under-resulting) side in south east London. Vieira and his players may sense an opportunity to capitalise on any potential hesitancy or tension in the visiting ranks after their sobering experience a few days ago.

“I don’t compare myself with these genius managers from the past,” Klopp also said in 2015, referring to Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish. “None of these great managers said in his first press conference: ‘My target is I want to be a legend.’”

Regardless, legendary status has been achieved. Klopp’s status is secure, his bond with Liverpool fans unbreakable. But where do they go from here?

(The Guardian) No surprise to see Joe Gomez left out by Klopp tonight. He had a torrid time against Real Madrid. I saw the theory expounded that Gomez has often been left exposed by the marauding Trent Alexander-Arnold but I am not sure that applied on Tuesday.

---

Klopp is asked about his changes. Based on form, or freshness? “It was about freshness. We need fresh legs, that was clear … again, a week with three games coming up, you cannot “force them through”, and we don’t have to.

“Very important [to build on the good bits from Tuesday] … we need the same desire and excitement as before the Madrid game … people told me we had a good 20 minutes, but the whole first half was good … anyway, that’s it, in general I would say the last three games show we are going in the right direction and we need to build on that.”

(The Guardian) Patrick Vieira is asked about … yes! You guessed it, Wilfried Zaha, who is still absent injured: “Hamstring issues, you want to be 100% sure, you don’t want to take any risk, the best decision was to give him another week and train with the team.

“The results are what they are … we need to perform at a better level, for 95 minutes, with a better concentration, and try to turn things around … at times we were unlucky not to take three points but we have work to do to win those games.”

(The Guardian) 2 min: Liverpool win a throw on their right wing, deep in Palace territory. Alexander-Arnold waits for a while, so long in fact that the Palace players start to complain. He lobs it for Salah, who makes a run into the box, but Palace clear their lines.

(The Guardian) 4 min: Mateta chases a hopeful ball into a channel for the home team. Nothing doing. Palace are set up to defend, first and foremost, it seems fair to say. It’s a bit of a flat start from both sides. The crowd is making plenty of noise, though.

---

6 min: Liverpool stroke the ball around at the back. They soon move into the Palace half and Jota has a sniff of a chance, from distance, when the ball flicks off his marker. But Palace are in position to repel the danger again.