10:00am ET @ Selhurt Park, South London, England.
Streaming on Peacock (yes, it’s a travesty this is not aired nationally)
If you’re one of the 25,500 lucky souls to hold a ticket to Selhurst Park this Saturday, I envy you. This match has all the trappings of a classic.
These two are the last remaining undefeated sides entering week 6 of the Premier League.
One the one side you’ve got a scoring juggernaut; on the other a stalwart defensive unit. There are numerous arguments to be made for either side, and here are some to discuss.
Why Palace Will Defeat Liverpool
- Momentum. The Eagles have not lost a competitive fixture since April 16th, on the heels of a 5 – 0 shellacking by Newcastle and a 5 – 2 drubbing by Man City. Since then they have 9 wins and 8 draws, conceded the same number of goals (10) in seventeen matches, and lifted two trophies (FA Cup and Community Shield).
- Defense. See above for some of that. But in this current season Palace are the stingiest backline right now, tied with Arsenal in two goals conceded.
- The Captain. Much has been said of Marc Guéhi, Palace’s center back whose $47M move to the Reds was quashed on transfer deadline day. He’ll be wanting to show Liverpool what they missed out on. A dominating performance would also make his winter transfer window price tag skyrocket. .
Why Liverpool Will Defeat Palace
- Momentum. Liverpool have scored in 39 straight league matches. That’s not necessarily a guarantee for winning, but any goal against the Palace defense is valuable.
- Offense. Even without Ekitiké, Liverpool’s attack is myriad, unpredictable and always dangerous. Particularly in the closing minutes. Alexander Isak is hardly a step down from Hugo, even if he’s not quite match fit. Mohamed Salah may not be lighting it up as he had in previous seasons, but he’s always capable.
- Pride, Part 1. This will be the third meeting between the two since May 25th. Palace holds the edge with a win and a draw. Liverpool will be keen to make the scales balanced.
- Pride, Part 2. Liverpool really, really, really want to maintain their perfect season.
The Hooligan Take
My co-host Gary Stiker and I discussed this fixture on our podcast. Though it pains me to put it into type, I still stand by my prediction that this one will end in a stalemate. A very exciting, and dramatic, 2 – 2 draw with plenty of late action. Go Eagles!
The Qooligan is a respected Sports Journalist specializing in Soccer, Premier League and Champions League who holds a Masters – History from Columbia University. With extensive experience in Sports Journalism, particularly in Soccer, Premier League and Champions League, The Qooligan provides expert analysis and valuable insights based on years of professional practice. You can read more of The Qooligan’s professional background on Hooligan Soccer and Hooligan Soccer. Connect with The Qooligan on X and Bluesky. The Qooligan is an alias of Hooligan Soccer founder Q Williams. Q is a 20+ year veteran of numerous technology and media companies, including MTV, Gracenote, Watchwith and Crunchyroll. He has a master’s degree in European History from Columbia University. As an established authority in Sports Journalism with specialized knowledge in Soccer, Premier League and Champions League, The Qooligan is committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy content that reflects both expertise and experience.
