Liverpool will move top of the Premier League for the first time since September 2021 if they beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the first top-flight match of the weekend on Saturday.
The Reds have only won four of their last 15 league games in London, but they have prevailed in seven of their eight visits to Palace under manager Jurgen Klopp, with the Eagles’ current run of 12 games without victory in the fixture representing their longest ongoing winless run against any opponents.
Palace are seven points clear of the relegation zone in 14th and have one win in eight games since the start of October, losing 2-0 to Bournemouth on Wednesday – their third successive defeat on a run of five home matches without victory.
A 2-0 win at Sheffield United was Liverpool’s second consecutive triumph as part of an eight-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, five of which have been victories.
The Sporting News is following the match live and providing updates and highlights below.
MORE: Palace vs Liverpool prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool live score
| 1st half | 2nd half | Goal scorers | |
| Crystal Palace | 0 | 1 | Mateta (P) |
| Liverpool | 0 | 0 | — |
Starting lineups:
Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1, right to left): Johnstone (GK) — Ward, Anderson, Guehi, Clyne — Richards, Lerma – Schlupp, Hughes, Ayew – Edouard (Mateta, 46).
Liverpool (4-3-3, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Quansah (Konate, 60), Van Dijk, Tsimikas — Szoboszlai, Endo (Gomez, 46), Gravenberch (Gakpo, 60) — Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool live updates, highlights, commentary
60 mins: Double change from Klopp after that goal as Ibrahima Konate and Cody Gakpo come on for Quansah and Gravenberch.
57 mins: 1-0 PALACE!!!!!
Mateta keeps his calm and rolls the penalty home as Alisson dives the wrong way! GAME ON!
56 mins: PENALTY TO PALACE!
Another lengthy VAR check after a foul on Mateta and Andy Madley opts for a spot kick!
52 mins: Scrappy start to the second period as Lerma loops a header just wide of Alisson’s post.
46 mins: Back underway at Selhurst Park and a change for both sides at the break! Joe Gomez is on for Endo and Jean-Phillipe Mateta replaces Eduard.
Gomez’s arrival pushes Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield for the visitors.
Halftime: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Goalless at the break! Palace are entitled to be much the happier, Jefferson Lerma only being denied by a brilliant reflex stop from Alisson via a post, then earning a penalty which was overturned following a pitchside monitor review by Andy Madley.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp almost sprints towards the changing rooms at halftime, while Roy Hodgson strolls behind and has a word with one or two of his players. He’ll be comfortable with what he’s seen – could this end up being a first home win for Palace in more than two months?
45 +2 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
There will be five minutes of added time, almost all of which is probably down to that lengthy VAR check over Palace’s potential penalty.
Liverpool have a passing accuracy so far of 85% to Palace’s 55%.
45 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Mohamed Salah has a go at goal from inside the penalty area, and the rebound falls to Dominik Szoboszlai, whose shot is blocked behind by Will Hughes.
Palace deal with the corner from Liverpool’s right.
42 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
On a day when they need to win to go top of the table, Liverpool are yet to have a shot on target. They’d probably be behind had that penalty been allowed to stand, and they’ve an xG of 0.07 to Palace’s 0.5.
39 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Joel Ward, perhaps showing the experience that he has gained during his 150 Palace appearances including today, brings Luis Diaz down when the attacker threatens to break clear and is booked.
36 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
“Will Hughes was aggressive beyond the mark,” Rio Ferdinand tells BT Sport of that penalty call, adding that Palace have had the better opportunities so far.
“The referee got to the right decision in the end.”
33 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
No penalty! Andy Madley decides Will Hughes did foul Wataru Endo.
What a let-off for Liverpool!
31 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Andy Madley takes a look at the pitchside monitor.
The Video Assistant Referee, John Brooks, is apparently happy with the award of the penalty.
Hughes went in to Wataru Endo’s back and sent the midfielder face-down on the turf. Hard to say whether that was a foul.
29 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Penalty to Crystal Palace!
Jurgen Klopp protests to the fourth official after Virgil van Dijk is punished – and booked – for bringing down Odsonne Edouard as the forward tries to reach Will Hughes’ pass in front of goal.
There’s a VAR check, though, for a potential foul by Hughes on Wataru Endo. Klopp clearly seems to think it was.
27 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Palace almost score!
The hosts put together a slick move, Jordan Ayew whipping a low cross along the penalty area from just short of the corner of the box on the right.
The delivery finds Jefferson Lerma unmarked and facing the far post. His fierce first-time shot is brilliantly saved by Alisson, who does wonderfully well to paw the ball away via a post. Great reflexes.
25 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
An indication of how the balance of play is going: all four of Liverpool’s starting defenders have attempted more than 20 passes in the opening 25 minutes, while no Palace player has tried more than nine.
23 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Crystal Palace load the box for a corner. Liverpool clear.
20 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
The stats show that Liverpool had more than 72% of possession during the opening 15 minutes of the game.
They haven’t been able to find their range, though, Dominik Szoboszlai being the latest player to send a shot wide.
17 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
There isn’t a great deal more to report on the pitch, but the rain, which has been since well before kickoff, appears to be clearing around Selhurst Park.
14 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Danger for Crystal Palace: Darwin Nunez is ready to pounce as a cross falls under the crossbar, but Joel Ward heads behind with an alert and timely intervention. Excellent defending.
12 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Jordan Ayew swings a cross from the right into the Liverpool penalty area, which Alisson claims comfortably.
Mohamed Salah then attempts to run on to a through ball at the other end, and Sam Johnstone advances to claim.
10 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
This is also Joel Ward’s 148th Premier League appearance at Selhurst Park, overtaking Wilfried Zaha (147) for the most games played here in the competition.
7 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Liverpool have more defending to do inside their penalty area in very windy conditions.
Both managers are on their feet in their technical penalty areas.
5 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Ton (and a half) up at Palace for Joel Ward, who launches a freekick from the halfway line inside the Liverpool penalty area.
The visitors clear. There hasn’t been a great deal of quality on display during the opening five minutes.
Another Palace milestone for Joel Ward ❤️💙
Congratulations, Wardy 🫶#CPFC | #CRYLIV pic.twitter.com/zA0iYsLdSE
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 9, 2023
2 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Liverpool
Fun fact: with an average age of exactly 29 years, this is Palace’s oldest starting XI in the Premier League since a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool in May 2021. Their average age on that day was 29 years, 364 days.
Kostas Tsimikas takes a swipe at a shot after a ricochet falls to the defender outside the Palace penalty area, going no nearer to scoring his first goal for the club than he was 30 seconds ago.
10 mins to kickoff: Former Liverpool player Peter Crouch has been speaking about Jarell Quansah starting for the visitors today.
“It’s a huge vote of confidence for him,” Crouch told BT Sport. “Ibrahima Konate has been rested or dropped, however you want to look at it. Joe Gomez, too, is on the bench.
“Quansah has got himself in there alongside Virgil van Dijk. It’s a good chance for him to cement his place and say ‘do you know what? You don’t have to go to the transfer market if Joel Matip leaves in the summer. I can be your man.’ It’s a huge opportunity for the young man.”
LET’S GO 💪#CRYLIV pic.twitter.com/wgxJIX3527
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 9, 2023
30 mins to kickoff: Back after three matches out, Alisson is seeking a first away clean sheet of the season.
Understudy Caoimhin Kelleher was the first Liverpool goalkeeper not to concede on the road during 2023-24 in the 2-0 win at Sheffield United on Wednesday. The Reds conceded 14 in 10 games on their travels before visiting Bramall Lane.
50 mins to kickoff: Palace make two changes from the side who began their 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth at Selhurst Park on Wednesday.
Former Liverpool defender Nathanial Clyne comes in for the injured Tyrick Mitchell and Will Hughes replaces Michael Olise.
Our starting XI to face Liverpool 🦅#CPFC | #CRYLIV
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 9, 2023
1 hour to kickoff: Team news! Liverpool make five changes, the most notable of which is the return of goalkeeper Alisson following injury.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, as expected, is out, and Jarell Quansah starts in a defence which will be without the injured Joel Matip for the rest of the season.
Our line-up to face Crystal Palace ⚪🟢#CRYLIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 9, 2023
1 hour 20 mins to kickoff: Early arrivals for Palace, who are seeking a first win in five matches and a first at home since September 3.
1 hour 40 mins to kickoff: With 12 wins from 16 Premier League games against them, Palace account for the joint-most victories Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has against a side in the competition.
The other matches ended in two draws and two defeats, and he also has 12 wins against West Ham United. He’s only been more successful in matches against German side Freiburg, who’ve lost against him 13 times.
2 hours to kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the opening Premier League fixture this weekend as Liverpool visit Crystal Palace. The Reds were in London when they last went top of the table on September 25 2021, sharing a 3-3 thriller with Brentford.
That wouldn’t be enough today for them to return to the summit for the first time since then, but they will move into first and a point clear of current leaders Arsenal if they win.
Should they do so, Liverpool will have good cause to hope that the Gunners won’t overtake them when they visit Aston Villa in today’s 5.30pm GMT kickoff – the Villans have won all seven of their Premier League home matches this season, including a dominant 1-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City on Wednesday.
Stay with us for build-up, team news and live coverage from Selhurst Park!
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool lineups, team news
Palace boss Roy Hodgson found himself under pressure with key duo Eberechi Eze and Tyrick Mitchell both ruled out.
Former Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne stepped in as cover for Mitchell with Jairo Riedewald brought in to stiffen the midfield.
Crystal Palace lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Johnstone (GK) — Ward, Anderson, Guehi, Clyne — Richards, Lerma – Schlupp, Hughes, Ayew – Edouard.
The five changes made by Liverpool was the most they have rung between matches this season, with the return of goalkeeper Alisson following injury the most significant news.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, as expected, was out, and Jarell Quansah started in a defence which will be without the injured Joel Matip for the rest of the season.
Liverpool lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas — Szoboszlai, Endo, Gravenberch — Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | NBC USA Network, Universo | NBC Sports App, Fubo, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| Canada | — |
Fubo Canada |
| UK | TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate | discovery+ |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | Hotstar VIP, JioTV |
USA: This game is being broadcast on the NBC USA Network with Spanish language streaming options on Universo and Telemundo, which are available to stream on Fubo.
Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via Fubo in Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
UK: This match is available for live broadcast via TNT Sports with streaming options on discovery+.
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA
