Liverpool’s title ambitions are on the line as the Reds face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

Liverpool have had a very good week so far after securing a place in the Carabao Cup Final and seeing teams around them in the table drop points.

While Manchester United’s late winner against West Ham United might not have gone down too well in the red half of Merseyside, Manchester City’s 1-1 draw away at Southampton presents Jürgen Klopp’s side with a chance to cut the gap at the top of the Premier League table.

Many have considered the title race a foregone conclusion, with City taking a 12-point lead going into this weekend’s fixtures after a stunning 12-match winning run. Kyle Walker-Peters stunned Pep Guardiola’s men with an early goal at St Mary’s Stadium, although Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick was met by the head of Aymeric Laporte with 25 minutes remaining to see the points split.

This is the first sign of vulnerability we have seen in Guardiola’s side in recent weeks and it could give Liverpool a boost ahead of their trip to Selhurst Park.

The Reds have been on a mixed run of form over the winter period. Their 3-1 win against Newcastle United in mid-December preceded a controversial 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur, a 1-0 loss at Leicester City and an enthralling 2-2 draw against title rivals Chelsea.

However, despite their December dip, Liverpool will move just nine points off Manchester City with a win against Crystal Palace and boast a game in hand on the league leaders after the encounter at Selhurst Park.

Beating the Eagles will be far from easy however as the Reds are still without Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah, who is out on international duty with Egypt at the African Cup of Nations. Sadio Mané and Naby Keïta are also both competing at the same competition representing Senegal and Guinea respectively.

Up to this point, Klopp has managed to handle their absence. The Reds beat Brentford 3-0 in their only Premier League game of 2022 so far, while also sealing progression in the FA Cup with a 4-1 win over Shrewsbury Town and booking their place in the Carabao Cup Final by overcoming Arsenal in the semi-finals.

Their next opponents, Crystal Palace, are in a bit of a tough spot.

The Eagles are all but certain of avoiding a relegation battle, sitting in 14th place in the Premier League table with a nine-point gap on the bottom three. At the same time, they are unlikely to challenge at for a Europa Conference League place, leaving them in a mid-table purgatory.

So, what would constitute a good season for Patrick Vieira’s men? They may be targeting a cup run to help their European ambitions, with a winnable FA Cup tie at home to League Two outfit Hartlepool United on the horizon. They may also be keen to secure a top half finish, having only finished in the top 10 once since returning to the Premier League in 2013.

Their form, like Liverpool’s, has been somewhat mixed. The Eagles have won just once since the start of December, beating Everton and Norwich City at Selhurst Park, two of the out-of-form sides in the division when they made the trip to South London.

There is always a bit of an edge whenever they play the Reds, given the importance of their recent meetings. Palace put the final nail in Liverpool’s 2013/14 title ambitions with a stunning 3-2 comeback win, while also being the last team to win at Anfield in 2017 ahead of a 68-game unbeaten home run that lasted until January 2021.

Conversely, Liverpool’s last trip to Selhurst Park saw them run out 7-0 winners, a stunning victory that preceded a disastrous run of form for Klopp’s injury-hit Reds. That might not be fresh in the mind of Vieira and his players, but the fans will be keen to avenge what remains the heaviest home defeat the club has suffered in their 116-year history.

If the Reds are to remain in the Premier League title picture, they will have to take three points from Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace. If they do not, Guardiola will almost certainly sweep up yet another domestic trophy with his dominant Manchester City side.

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