IT’S ALREADY BEEN an eventful day in England’s top flight with Arsenal hammering Sunderland 4-1, Manchester United dropping points at home to Burnley and Man City returning to the top of the table after putting four unanswered goals past West Brom.
The final game of the day sees Crystal Palace entertain Liverpool. Currently third in the table, a win for the Reds would put them level on 23 points with joint leaders Man City and Arsenal.
Kick off is just 25 minutes away.
And here are the line-ups.
Crystal Palace: Mandanda; Ward, Dann, Tomkins, Kelly; Cabaye, McArthur; Ledley, Lee, Zaha, Benteke.
Liverpool: Karius; Clyne, Lovren, Matip, Moreno; Henderson, Can, Lallana; Coutinho, Mane, Firmino.
Palace make two changes to the side which lost 3-1 to Leicester City with Scott Dann in for former Ireland international Damien Delaney and Lee Chung-yong replacing Andros Townsend.
James Milner misses out through illness for the visitors so Alberto Moreno comes into the backline.
Christian Benteke starts against his former club and will be hoping to add to his three goals this season. The Belgian striker is 13/2 to score first.
Predictions, please…
Poll Results:
Here come the teams, as The Dave Clark Five classic Glad All Over rings out around Selhurst Park.
A decent club anthem, to be fair.
KICK-OFF - And we’re away. Palace wearing their home colours of red and blue, the visitors in a yellow change strip.
Zaha sends a diagonal ball towards Benteke, and he gets the knockdown but Liverpool clear the danger.
Expect to see a lot of that from Palace today.
Liverpool attack in numbers and Coutinho looks to cross from the left but it’s a poor delivery.
Liverpool dominating possession with 78% to 22% in the opening minutes.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Liverpool (Emre Can)
The away side go in front through their Germany midfielder, whose finish goes in off Dann.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace (James McArthur)
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool (Dejan Lovren)
That’s gone some way to making up for his mistake. Moments after playing a major role in Palace’s goal, Lovren scores at the other end — powering a header past Mandanda from Coutinho’s corner.
WOODWORK! Moreno blasts an effort at goal from an acute angle and it crashes out off the post.
The Spaniard has begun well in an attacking sense.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-2 Liverpool (James McArthur)
This is fun! Zaha lofts a cross to the front post and McArthur doubles his tally for the day by beating Lovren to the header.
SUPER SAVE! Coutinho forces Mandanda into a terrific save as he tips the Brazilian’s header onto the post.
Moments later, Mane misses a sitter from close range.
Replays show that Coutinho header actually came off the raised hand of Joel Ward before Mandanda’s heroics.
More fine play from Liverpool involving Coutinho and Lallana, who puts the ball across Palace’s goalmouth but there are no yellow shirts there to take advantage.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-3 Liverpool (Joel Matip)
Another headed goal from another set piece. Liverpool centre-half Joel Matip rises highest to score his first goal for the club since arriving from Schalke in the summer.
Half-time: Crystal Palace 2-3 Liverpool
It’s been an entertaining first 45 minutes…
SECOND HALF – We’ve just restarted and there are no half-time substitutes to report.
SAVE – Benteke shoots on the turn and Karius gets his body in front to block. From the resulting corner, the Belgian heads into the hands of the Liverpool stopper.
GOOD STOP – Coutinho, who has been running the show thus far, threads through a perfectly-weighted pass to Mane and Mandanda has to make a save with his out-stretched foot.
PENALTY SHOUTS – Zaha appears to dive in the Liverpool box under press from Lovren, then Matip challenges Benteke but referee Andre Marriner isn’t having any of it.
SUBSTITUTION – Lee is off with Andros Townsend replacing the South Korean international as Palace boss Alan Pardew looks to add pace and directness to his attack.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool (Roberto Firmino)
That’s a brilliant finish. Henderson has the vision to play the Brazilian in, and he lifts the ball over Mandanda with a delicate chip. It’s his fifth of the season.
Foolishly, he picks up a yellow card for taking off his shirt during the celebration.
A COUPLE OF CHANGES TO REPORT… Jason Puncheon replaces Ledley, and Liverpool bring on Georginio Wijnaldum for Lallana, who has had a quiet evening.
Five minutes on the clock and Liverpool look like they will be taking the three points back to Merseyside with them.
Benteke catches Matip with an elbow but avoids a booking.
ONE LAST THROW OF THE DICE – Palace send on striker Fraizer Campbell in place of McArthur for the final minutes.
Just as he comes on, fellow substitute Puncheon shoots over.
Coutinho shoots at goal but it’s straight at Mandanda. The former Inter Milan man deserves a goal after a terrific performance here.
And that’s his last involvement as Klopp withdraws him for Divock Origi.
FINAL SUBSTITUTION – Mane off for Ragnar Klavan.
Full-time: Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool
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