This is a huge game. Bigger than the City game now. If we mess up, we could undo the advantages of Sunday's win. On the other hand, City are playing Chelsea so there's a possibility of increasing the gap between us and City.

It will be tough. Away to Palace always is... and Roy will get almost two solid weeks with his players to prepare just for our game. I'm not sure how many of our players are away on intnl duty but I guess Klopp won't have the same luxury as Roy.

Banana skin written all over it... so we need to focus and be prepared. A win at Palace will maintain the gap and start to put pressure on the chasing pack as we head into the busy period.

I dont understand how this can be bigger than the City game which is like a 6 pointer, ie, we winning 3 points and our closest rival losing 3. That said, very important that we keep the momentum

Because it�s a game we should win.

Because it's a game that hasn't already been played of course.

Good point.

By Jove Holmes, you've got it!




(PS - For Red - The "Holmes" connotation refers to the English literature masterpiece by Arthur Conan Doyle and not any racial overtones or connotation to the Hispanic-slang use of the word "Holmes" term as in the third person!)

phew...this pc business is exhausting...

They are all huge games now!

Hopefully Salah & Robbo are back fit, same for the rest of the international players.

Zaha is the big threat, so we need to keep him quiet.

Given that we could be without Salah, Robertson and who knows who else, this fixture takes on a real banana skin factor, sure enough. It'll be a nervous ten or so days between now and then, hoping we don't lose any more key players.

But we have Origi and Robertson should be back I think

Robertson is reported to be a doubt, but I hope you're right. IMO he'd be just as big a loss as Sallah. Origi may yet become a top player, but at present he's no like for like replacement for Salah, nor anywhere near it.

From Klopp's presser:


"Virgil is 100% available. I cannot say 100% for the others (Salah, Robertson, Matip). Fabinho, Bobby, Ali, Gini all played Tuesday. We will see how they react. Nobody came back injured."

Klopp on Salah: "Yesterday he trained. He has been training the things we want him to do. It's not that he has got worse, it's just that it is there still (injury). We have to be sensible. I have to see the session today before I make a decision".

Looks like Salah has proved himself fit for the Palace game, however I don't think Klopp will risk him from the start.

Predicted line up:

Alisson

TAA Lovren VVD Milner

Hendo Fab Wij

Mane Bobby Origi

I don't want to try and predict a scoreline because we don't seem to play too well after an International break. Recent H2H's are encouraging we've won the last 5 @Palace banishing a previous hoodoo we had there.

Common Origi, prove me wrong

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Firmino.

Subs: Adrian, Milner, Keita, Salah, Gomez, Lallana, Origi.

Liverpool boss J�rgen Klopp has named the following team and substitutes for today's Premier League fixture away to Crystal Palace:

LIVERPOOL: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Firmino.

SUBS: Adrian, Milner, Keita, Salah, Gomez, Lallana, Origi.

Andy Robertson is passed fit to start but Mo Salah starts the match on the bench with Klopp opting not to risk him from the off. Oxlade-Chamberlain steps up instead, his first Premier League start since September.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson has gone as follows:

CRYSTAL PALACE: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, Van Aanholt, Milivojevic, McArthur, Kouyate, Zaha, Townsend, Ayew.

SUBS: Hennessey, Dann, Meyer, Schlupp, Benteke, McCarthy, Kelly.

I really do feel that this game is HUGE...because of the timing and the situation that developed when we beat City and in the period thereafter.

We opened up a nine point gap to City and were on such a high that Sunday afternoon. Then suddenly next morning Sterling's antics and the other situations took all the positivity away. The last couple of weeks has been about doubts surrounding Gomez, Robertson, Salah and VVD. It may be just me as a fan, often a pessimistic fan, but it seems circumstances have conspired to quickly take away the feeling of confidence after the City result.

Even if we put aside fan stupidity (mine)... I think getting 3 points before City play is massive... more than usual. It will mean that the break hasn't affected us points wise and they'll be 12 points behind us going into a game against Chelsea. They will surely feel the pressure. If we fail to take 3 points though, it will be a big lost opportunity and risks changing the momentum in favour of City. Allowing that to happen immediately after beating City will be so annoying and potentially very costly.

Another scrappy win, we started well and didn't get an early goal our play deserved. Seems to be par for the course now away from home where we don't score until later on in games and it makes for an uncomfortable game. It'd be nice once in awhile to get games won early so players can be replaced and given a rest.

Bobby is starting to frustrate me with his need for the Hollywood instead the easy option. His toe poke which their Keeper saved in the 2nd half should have been an easy slot in to the left nearside post, instead he opted for poking it far right side and Keeper saves it. I hope Klopp reads him the riot act even if he did get the winner. He could have cost us at least 2 points today just like he did at OT where he missed 2 sitters.

Not arsed how we won. Back from an international break, didnt play well. Crystal Palace played the best they've ever played all season. We played away from home at a notoriously difficult ground. and yet AGAIN got the 3 points. It was never about the performance really today. It was all about the result. We will have some time to get back into our rhythm now that all the internationals are done.

VAR went in our favour. The rest of the world are fuming at liverpool. All the late goals, shithousing the wins. The VAR. And I'm absolutely loving it. I am loving how the rest of the country is hating our club. Top of the league. 8 points clear still. Unbeaten. Get in.

Good win, scrappy performance, we always seem to struggle after an international break, we looked better in the second half, this team just keeps on going, we never give up, after the Zaha equaliser, teams of old heads would have gone down and we probably would have gone on to concede again.

Shame City won, but we just need to keep maintaining the points gap, over a third of the season gone.

They are starting to look at Klopp the way we used to look at Ferguson. Blind rage, conspiracy theories. Love it.

I watched the game on Bein 11 with Keys and Gray, who hate us with a passion. The pair of them were p*ssed at the VAR decision to chalk the goal for the push on Lovren off, also stating we've been the luckiest club for VAR decisions this season! Maybe they should go to Talksport radio where their disdain for us is equal to them.

We've had plenty of VAR decisions go against us this season I despise the green eyed monsters of certain sections of the media who will never give us the credit we deserve.

Come on Redmen...let's beat City's 100 point tally for our 1st ever PL and retain the CL into the process.

I will enjoy the usual rage unleashed by the Arsenal and United fans on Monday when I go back to work. They will tell me how lucky we are to score late and how we are playing with 13 players. Truth is if VAR had really done its job we would have a 100% record still.

A predictable, deliciously ugly win, playing on a half tank after the international break. Beautiful pair of fingers to all those media begrudgers who don't understand the rules of the game, when you foul a player in the box it's a free out, end off. Am lovin this season despite the ticker strain. Well done Klopp and the lads...despite leaving a half tank on the pitch! Just don't do it again, and we'll remain friends...

It's more difficult to score on the nearside of the keeper, Firmino chose the right shot but the keeper did well.

Our play however was not great, don't know why, very unlike the City game in terms of intensity. I don't understand unless the plan is not to play intense all the time to keep fit.

That was typical after an international break.

You could see Klopp on the sideline gesturing about upping the tempo. The players weren't up for our usual intense game.

Disagree with you Vish, it was an uncontrolled, stretched toe noggy from Bobby to the far corner which ended up close to the Keeper hence why the Keeper got a hand to it when he could have gone for a controlled inside of his foot into the bottom nearside corner.