Liverpool-Crystal Palace Preview

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira is expecting to face a strong Liverpool side, despite the Reds being without key attacking duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Salah and Mane will play no part in Sunday's Premier League contest at Selhurst Park as they are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt and Senegal respectively.

However, Liverpool how won three of their four games without the pair and are second in the table ahead of their trip to south London, having also reached the EFL Cup final.

With the Reds' impressive form in mind, Vieira played down the absence of Salah and Mane, who were on target in Liverpool's 3-0 win in September's reverse fixture.

"Liverpool are a team. It is not just about those two players they are missing," he said.

"Obviously with those two players they are stronger but there are still a couple of players who are playing well with fantastic talents.

"The best way to describe this team, before talking about individual talents, is to talk about the team - and this is a strong team."

Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0 on Thursday to set up an EFL Cup final showdown with Chelsea next month, but focus now switches back to the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp's side have won their last six away league games against Palace, including a 7-0 victory in the corresponding fixture last term, though the German is anticipating a sterner test this time.

"That was a one-off, a freak of nature. That day was incredible - we scored pretty much with each shot," Klopp said.

"We don't expect that again. They've changed and improved under Patrick. They look like a really stable team. It's a really good Premier League team with a few unlucky results."

Crystal Palace - Conor Gallagher

Gallagher has been directly involved in 10 Premier League goals in 18 appearances for Crystal Palace this season - seven goals of his own and three assists. The Chelsea loanee has reached double figures for goal involvements in the second-fewest games of any Palace player in the competition's history, behind only Andrew Johnson in 2004-05 (17 games).

Liverpool - Takumi Minamino

Minamino took his chance in the absence of Mane and Salah by scoring in the 3-0 win over Brentford last time out in the Premier League for Liverpool. The Japan international has now scored two goals in his last five appearances in the competition, having netted just once in his first 21 outings for the Reds.

- Palace have lost each of their last nine Premier League games against Liverpool, since a 2-1 win at Anfield in April 2017. Their last four defeats have been by an aggregate score of 16-0.

- Liverpool have not won any of their last four Premier League games in London (D3 L1), with the Reds last having a longer winless league run in the capital between November 2014 and October 2015 (five).

- The Eagles have won two of their last three Premier League games against sides starting the day in the top three of the table (L1), beating Tottenham 3-0 and Manchester City 2-0 this season. The Eagles had won just one of their previous 24 such games in the competition (D6 L17).

- Palace are yet to lose consecutive Premier League home games under Vieira, last doing so in May of last season under Roy Hodgson (against Chelsea and Manchester City).

- After keeping a clean sheet in four of their first five Premier League away games this season, Liverpool have conceded at least once in five of their last six on the road, shipping nine goals in total in this run.

Updated January 22, 2022