Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream & TV Info
The penultimate weekend of the season sees Crystal Palace head to Anfield looking to gatecrash Liverpool's farewell for Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard's final Anfield appearance before he departs the club for Los Angeles Galaxy sees neither side with anything to play for other than pride. Liverpool are looking set for a fifth-place finish, while Alan Pardew's side sit comfortably in 12th.
Whatever the result on Saturday, the match will always be remembered for the occasion of Gerrard's farewell.
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Both teams will greet the iconic midfielder with a guard of honour pre-match, while the Kop will honour him with a mosaic. It will be an emotional evening at Anfield.
Date: Saturday, 16 May, 2015
Time: 5.30 p.m. BST (12.30 p.m. ET)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
TV Info: Sky Sports 1, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra
Live Stream: Sky Sports 1, NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Predicted Formations
Liverpool have an almost fully fit squad, bar long-term absentee Daniel Sturridge, of course. Mamadou Sakho returned to training this week but isn't likely to start, while Lucas Leiva could start after returning from injury against Chelsea last week.
Rodgers must decide where to play Gerrard, having returned him to the holding midfield role in recent games. That's most likely where he'll continue for this match.
Up front, Rodgers could give youngster Jerome Sinclair his full debut or stick with Rickie Lambert.
For the visitors, Jason Puncheon could return after injury, while academy winger Sullay Kaikai could be among several youngsters involved for Pardew's side, according to BBC Sport.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Lovren, Johnson, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Ibe, Sterling, Lallana.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Kelly, Puncheon, Ledley, Bolasie, McArthur, Zaha, Murray.
Form Lines (All Competitions)
Liverpool
Drew 1-1 vs. Chelsea
Won 2-1 vs. QPR
Lost 1-0 vs. Hull City
Drew 0-0 vs. West Brom
Lost 2-1 vs. Aston Villa (FA Cup)
Crystal Palace
Lost 2-1 vs. Manchester United
Lost 1-0 vs. Chelsea
Lost 2-0 vs. Hull City
Lost 2-0 vs. West Bromwich Albion
Won 4-1 vs. Sunderland
Player to Watch
Liverpool: Steven Gerrard
On his final Anfield appearance, all eyes will be on Gerrard. Will he get the opportunity to add to his 185 goals for the club? Will there be tears shed as he departs the pitch for the final time?
His last two outings have both seen Gerrard on the scoresheet, heading the winner against Queens Park Rangers and the equaliser against Chelsea—those goals make him the Reds' top Premier League goalscorer with eight goals this season and overall top scorer with 12.
A penalty for Liverpool at the Kop end would be nice!
Crystal Palace: Yannick Bolasie
Yannick Bolasie is a player who has tormented Liverpool on their two most recent league meetings, both at Selhurst Park. He dominated against Dejan Lovren and Glen Johnson down the left side of Liverpool's defence in the league meeting in November, and those two have lined up there in recent games.
There were even some rather tenuous suggestions last month that Bolasie might be a transfer target for Liverpool this summer.
Can Bolasie and Palace upset the party just like Norwich City and Jeremy Goss did on the Kop's last stand in 1994?
Key Battle
Motivation
Perhaps the key battle in this fixture will be the mentality of the two sides. Palace have nothing to play for and have lost their last four games, scoring just once in the process. They very much look like a side whose minds are already on the summer holiday.
But they'll be keen to leave Anfield having left their mark on the occasion and will be a dangerous proposition if Liverpool get carried away with the emotion of the day.
Liverpool must focus on the job in hand. "I'm looking forward to the match and I want to win the game desperately," says Gerrard, per Premier League. "I want to finish on a high at Anfield in front of our supporters."
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Liverpool win: -333
Palace win: +750
Draw: +450
Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace
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