Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Betting Tips (15/08/22) – Reds Need to Bounce Back from Fulham Fail

Well, that didn’t pan out as expected.

Liverpool would have been sensing a comfortable victory against Fulham to open their Premier League account last week, but Jurgen Klopp’s men twice had to come from behind to salvage a point.

The hosts were full of beans at Craven Cottage – as you would expect from a newly-promoted side, and Aleksandr Mitrovic was his typically physical and forceful self.

And it was the Serbian who gave Fulham a shock lead in the first half of Saturday’s contest, out-muscling Trent Alexander-Arnold to nod home a far post header from Kenny Tete’s cross.

Luis Diaz, who was a handful throughout, hit the post in the first period, but it was a rollicking performance from another South American that earned him the Liverpool star man award.

Darwin Nunez showed glimpses of his class in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City, and it was his introduction in the 51st minute which galvanized the Reds’ comeback bid.

The Uruguayan drew Liverpool level after 64 minutes when he prodded home from close range, before Mitrovic dusted himself down to restore Fulham’s lead after he was fouled by Virgil van Dijk.

Just as the Cottagers dared to dream of a famous opening day victory, that man Nunez stepped up once again to save the Reds’ blushes – this time assisting Mo Salah with a precise pass.

So it was honours even in a game that, in truth, both sides were perhaps happy to walk away from with a point – Jordan Henderson’s curling shot in injury time striking the woodwork, but a draw was a fair result all the same.

Klopp will be hoping that a return to Anfield will be the spark his team needs to get their first win on the board – they host Crystal Palace there on Monday evening.

Liverpool Team News

It’s so early in the 2022/23 campaign, and yet Liverpool are already beset with injuries.

Thiago was substituted after 51 minutes against Fulham, and it appears as though he has been struck with a similar thigh injury that saw him sidelined periodically last term as well. His absence really does hamper the Reds – he brings so much guile and class to the midfield, and Klopp will have to find a way to replace him.

But with Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both injured, and with Naby Keita’s pre-season conditioning affected by illness, it’s possible that young Harvey Elliott will be drafted in as Thiago’s replacement.

Injuries to Ibrahim Konate, Kostas Tsimikas and Caoimhin Kelleher are frustrating, rather than definitive, although Klopp will hope that Diogo Jota returns soon to give him more options in attack.

Crystal Palace Form

Most observers and pundits would agree that Patrick Vieira worked wonders with Crystal Palace in 2021/22, bringing together a youthful and much-changed squad and turning them into something progressive and greater than the sum of their parts.

The Frenchman may have been left disappointed by the Eagles’ disrupted pre-season, however. The club didn’t take a number of first-teamers on the tour of Australia and Singapore and others weren’t allowed to travel due to their vaccination status, and it meant that Vieira went days without coaching his normal starting eleven.

They are also likely to miss Conor Gallagher too, and the 0-2 defeat to Arsenal on the opening day of the season was indicative of a team that looked slightly behind the eight-ball in terms of preparation.

Expect them to be better at Anfield, but will that alone be enough?

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Betting Tips

Vieira couldn’t halt a rather unwanted record from the perspective of Crystal Palace fans in 2021/22 – they have now lost ten consecutive Premier League games against Liverpool.

The 0-3 and 1-3 defeats last term suggest that the Eagles’ boss hasn’t found a way to stop Klopp’s attacking stars, and given that the Reds have now bludgeoned 30 goals in their last ten games against the Londoners, we simply have to follow our nose when betting on this game.

Liverpool with a -1 goal handicap would have landed in all of the last five meetings between these sides, although at odds of 4/7 here it’s not the most appetising punt available.

Liverpool to Win and Over 2.5 Goals will net you in the region of 7/10, but our favourite play here is Luis Diaz to score anytime at 11/10. He looked in fine fettle against Fulham, and could have opened his season’s account there and then.