Likely Liverpool XI To Play Against Crystal Palace: Sturridge To Start, Dilemma Between Lucas & Allen

Crystal Palace host Liverpool later tonight at Selhurst Park in a hope to continue their impressive run off late. Whereas Liverpool come into this fixture with the aim to score as many as they can. Manchester City’s narrow win against Everton last night puts the title race heavily in favour of the Citizens who have two more games to play against slightly weaker opponents. With a goal difference of nine to catch up, it almost looks out of hands for the Reds unless Man City slip up again.

As far as the team news in concerned, Brendan Rodgers will have a strong attacking line-up to choose from. With Sturridge’ return from his hamstring injury, the SAS should be re-united again. However, the only absentee would be Jordan Henderson who will be serving his third game under suspension. The return of Sturridge means that Lucas who was playing in a deeper role might be pushed to bench allowing the England International to continue from where he left. 

This means that Gerrard will go back to the tip of the diamond, with the likes of Coutinho, Sterling and Allen forming the rest of the midfield. Having said that, it would be interesting to see if Rodgers decides to go for a defensive line-up including Lucas in place of Allen or he goes with the Welsh midfielder.

Upfront it should be the usual SAS partnership with Sturridge playing slightly on the right side and Suarez linking with Sterling on the left.

The back four are likely to remain unchanged. Although they have conceded a total of 6 goals against Chelsea, Man City and Norwich in the last three games, Flanagan, Sakho, Skrtel and Johnson remain Rodgers’s best defenders. While Simon Mignolet should continue between the sticks. If the Reds are to overhaul the goal-difference deficit of nine, their back four has to be focused and keep a clean sheet.

All in all, Liverpool does have a strong XI to field at Selhurst Park. It remains to see what happens when the final whistle is blown!

 Here are some match facts:

• Had the Barclays Premier League started on January 1st, Crystal Palace would be seventh in the table on 27 points.
• Liverpool have scored in 17 of their 18 away league games this season, failing to score only at Arsenal.
• Three of Liverpool’s last five Premier League defeats have been to London clubs.
• Liverpool have won 44 points in 2014, one more than Palace have recorded all season.
• Liverpool can set a new club record of seven top-flight away wins in a row if they win this game.
• Palace have scored just 16 goals from open play this season, fewer than any other side and fewer than Suarez (25) and Sturridge (17).
• Palace and Liverpool have both named an unchanged line-up eight times this season, more than any other side.

Facts compiled from au.eurosport.com

Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool