C Palace v Liverpool: Premier League predictions, where to watch and free tips

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Saturday's Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
2pts 21-20 BoyleSports
Crystal Palace draw no bet
1pt 19-5Betfair

Team news

Crystal Palace
Christian Benteke is suspended. Mamadou Sakho is a doubt.

Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota are out. Joel Matip should be fit.

Match preview

Liverpool have hit the top of the Premier League but there's no suggestion they are now going to canter away from the field – indeed the evidence is hardly compelling that they'll still be leading the way after this weekend.

The Reds, like pretty much every other top-flight team this term, are finding 2020-21 a struggle and there are no grounds for presuming they will wipe the floor with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Of Liverpool's last seven matches they have won only one by more than a single goal margin. Indeed, they've failed to win four of those seven.

Inevitably they are going to be feeling on top of the world after seeing off Tottenham on Wednesday to leap three points clear of the field.

But it's all a lot of perspiration rather than inspiration for Jurgen Klopp's Reds and while they boast a fantastic record against the Eagles, this doesn't look like a fixture where a short price about the visitors makes a whole lot of appeal.

Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals at 21-20 is a more acceptable option because this looks like a game with goals.

Liverpool will bang remorselessly on the Palace door and almost certainly find the net – they have done in their last 19 Premier League games and when you're averaging 15.6 shots per game, eventually something tends to give. And Palace have not kept a clean sheet in their last 12 matches.

But Palace can find joy as well, as Fulham did, and Brighton and Sheffield United and others too. Liverpool have kept only one clean sheet in their last ten Premier League away games as Klopp continues to fiddle with his defensive options.

Palace are generally more of a threat on the counter and that's how they will be operating today with Liverpool dominating possession. The Eagles have won only two of their last ten at home but this will develop into more of an away game and that suits them better.

Liverpool have a great record against Palace, winning their last six meetings and the last five at Selhurst Park.

But they have drawn their last four away in the Premier League and that defensive frailty – they've already shipped 19 goals, one more than Palace have – is a concern.

Palace can surprise teams (all teams can surprise anyone this season, it seems) so at 11-2 the hosts could be worth a shout, although the 19-5 Palace with stakes returned on the draw is also eminently acceptable.

Key stat

Sadio Mane has scored in each of his last six league appearances against Palace

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