Two out-of-form Premier League sides, Liverpool and Crystal Palace, meet at Anfield in the Carabao Cup, both viewing the match as a chance to regain confidence and end poor runs.
Anfield is set to host an “intriguing Carabao Cup match-up” on Wednesday evening as Liverpool, who are currently “out of sorts,” take on a Crystal Palace side struggling with just one victory in October, according to FotMob.
The preview highlights Liverpool’s dramatic dip in form: after starting the season with seven wins from seven, the reigning champions have since won just one of six matches, including four consecutive Premier League losses.
FotMob notes that the Reds are seven points off the league pace, grappling with one of the worst defensive records in the league, mounting injuries, and key players experiencing a loss of form.
For manager Arne Slot, the Carabao Cup is seen as a double-edged sword: “It is a game they don’t need right now with the squad looking thin… but it’s a chance for a bit of a confidence boost.”
Crystal Palace, who kicked off Liverpool’s losing run with a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park, are also facing issues, having gone four games without a win. The Eagles are “struggling for clean sheets” and “finding goals hard to come by.”
Due to both teams’ busy schedules, heavy rotation is expected, making the match outcome difficult to predict. The report confirms Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong, and Giovanni Leoni are out for Liverpool, and key players like Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai may be rested.
Fede Chiesa is tipped to start for the hosts, while Palace is expected to field Ismaïla Sarr, who has a strong record against the Merseyside club. Given the current struggles and the uncertainty of the line-ups, FotMob predicts a stalemate:
“Without knowing how strong either team will go, it’s hard to predict what might happen… We’re going to say 1-1 with the match going to penalties.”