Crystal Palace-Liverpool Statistical Preview

TEAM NEWS

Crystal Palace captain Mile Jedinak has served a ban but he and Yannick Bolasie will be assessed following long-haul flights while on international duty.

James McArthur faces a fitness test on a calf problem.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is out until the New Year having suffered another thigh injury.

Forward Mario Balotelli and midfielder Jordan Henderson are expected to overcome hamstring injuries in time to play on Sunday.

MATCH PREVIEW

This weekend's trip to Selhurst Park will bring back unhappy memories for Liverpool fans; in last May's 3-3 draw, Palace scored three goals in the last 11 minutes to rescue a point, leaving Luis Suarez in tears and the Reds' title challenge severely dented.
Lawro's prediction

"Daniel Sturridge's latest injury is a huge blow for Liverpool and I think it might be time for Brendan Rodgers to give Rickie Lambert a proper chance up front.

"Lambert has not played much since his move from Southampton, where he showed how capable he is of scoring goals in a team that plays good football."

Predictions: Lawro v Citizen Khan

It was an extraordinary collapse and continued Liverpool's indifferent run of results at Selhurst in recent years. They haven't won any of their last five league and cup visits since Michael Owen, Steve McManaman and Oyvind Leonhardsen scored in a 3-0 Premier League win back in December 1997.

This time around the match falls on the first anniversary of a significant date for Crystal Palace because it was on this weekend a year ago that Tony Pulis was appointed manager.

At the time no one seemed to fancy their chances of survival - they were six points from safety and odds-on to be relegated with the bookies - but went on to finish 11th come May. From the time he took over, the Eagles had the eighth-best record in the Premier League.

Palace are five points better off than they were at the same stage last season, but are only above the relegation zone on goal difference going into this weekend's round of fixtures.

They could do with something from this game to kick-start their campaign, taking just a single point from the last five matches, and having one solitary home win to their name so far, that coming against Leicester.

Liverpool's current form isn't much better. They were second in the table 12 months ago, but an uninspiring start to the season leaves them nine points worse off this time round and without a win in their last three league games.

Yet they have managed a couple of away wins so far, scoring three goals each time in beating Tottenham and QPR in London. The shame for them was that three goals didn't prove to be enough against Palace last May.
MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last five league and cup meetings with Liverpool at Selhurst Park.
    Palace have only won one of 10 Premier League matches against Liverpool. Andrew Johnson scored the winner in 2005.
    Thirty six goals have been scored between the clubs in all-time Premier League matches, an average of over 3.5 goals per game - Liverpool have scored 26 of them.

Crystal Palace

    Palace are without a win in five league games (D1, L4).
    The Eagles ended last season with five clean sheets from their final 10 games. They have kept just two in their opening 11 games this campaign; only Leicester (one) have managed fewer.
    Neil Warnock's side have let in the most second-half goals (13), including a league-high seven inside the last 15 minutes.
    Palace have conceded a league-high 57% of goals from set pieces.
    Dwight Gayle has scored three goals in two Premier League appearances against Liverpool.

Liverpool

    Liverpool are winless in three Premier League matches (D1, L2) for the second time this season. They never once went more than two games without a win during the 2013-14 campaign.
    Only twice have the Reds had fewer points at this stage of a Premier League season before (1992-93 and 2012-13).
    Ten of Liverpool's 14 points have come against sides below them in the table, including three of their four victories.
    They are one of two teams, along with Aston Villa, not to have recovered any points from losing positions.
    Three of Liverpool's 14 league goals have been own goals, equal with Raheem Sterling as Liverpool's top league scorer.

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