Liverpool will move within one result of its first Premier League era title if it beats Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday (Watch live at 3:15 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
The Reds dropped points for just the third time this season in a weekend Merseyside Derby draw at Everton and still need five points to claim the crown.
LIVERPOOL – CRYSTAL PALACE STREAM
Liverpool wins the league if it wins Wednesday and Man City drops points at Chelsea on Thursday.
Palace will buttress its European hopes with an upset, currently three points off seventh-place Tottenham. The Eagles have been difficult to break down and boast four-consecutive clean sheet wins after adding a win over Bournemouth to victories against Watford, Brighton, and Newcastle.
Team news
Liverpool will be without Joel Matip and James Milner, who suffered injuries in Sunday’s Merseyside Derby draw, but have Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson back in full fitness.
Jeffrey Schlupp, James Tomkins, and Martin Kelly remain out for the Eagles.
🔴 TEAM NEWS 🔴
Here's how we line-up to take on @CPFC back at Anfield tonight 💪
— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) June 24, 2020
COME ON YOU PALACE#CPFC | #LIVCRY
— Crystal Palace F.C. (H) (@CPFC) June 24, 2020
What they’re saying
Klopp’s humblebrags after Man City clobbers Burnley: “The only thing I realised when I watched the game last night was how is it possible that anybody is 20 points ahead of this team? That’s pretty much unthinkable actually. So we must have done obviously a couple of things really well and right that we can have this situation.”
Palace’s Roy Hodgson on facing the best: “You relish facing Liverpool and Manchester City not because you think we’ll have an easy game, you relish it because it proves to you that you are at the very top level of football you can reach in England. These are the flagships of our league, not the only ones but they’re in that bracket. You relish playing against them because it means you’ve given yourself a chance against them.”
Odds and ends
The Anfield hosts are big favorites at -420, while a Palace win is deemed highly unlikely at +1200.
Liverpool collected a fortunate late winner through Roberto Firmino in a 2-1 win over Palace at Selhurst Park earlier this year that was deemed one of their worst performances of the season.
Prediction for Liverpool – Crystal Palace
Palace’s overachieving season may yet wind up in a top seven finish and the Eagles should be able to breach the Liverpool back line, but a win is asking too much at Anfield. Liverpool 3-1.
Follow @NicholasMendola