On a difficult night for Liverpool at Anfield, Crystal Palace delivered a clinically efficient performance to inflict a 3-0 defeat on the Premier League champions and eliminate them from the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
As the hosts struggled to find any rhythm, Palace struck twice just before half-time through Ismaïla Sarr and then sealed the tie with a late goal from Yeremy Pino.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot came into the game under pressure and opted to make ten changes to his starting XI, handing a debut to goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and introducing several youngsters in what was viewed as a heavily rotated side. From the opening whistle, it was clear that the cohesion and intensity that have been hallmarks for Liverpool in past campaigns were missing.
The visitors pressed hard and early, and Liverpool never really managed to settle.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner fielded a much stronger side in comparison, showing respect for the competition and endeavouring to take full advantage of their hosts’ selection. The result marked Palace’s third win of the season over Liverpool, having already beaten them in the Community Shield and in the Premier League.
From the start, Palace looked confident. Sarr’s sharp movement and pace troubled Liverpool’s backline repeatedly, and despite some early probing from the hosts, particularly when youngster Rio Ngumoha went close after getting in behind down the left, the breakthrough came on 41 minutes when Sarr slotted home to give Palace the lead.
Four minutes later, he doubled up, finishing slickly to leave Liverpool with a mountain to climb at half-time. The hosts’ inability to string passes together, maintain momentum, and defend solidly in transitional moments was glaring.
The second half offered little relief for the home side. By now, the mood in the stadium had shifted, the sheen of Liverpool’s recent title-winning aura seemed distant as the Reds laboured for ideas and urgency.
A key moment came in the 79th minute when Liverpool were reduced to ten men, compounding their troubles and removing any realistic chance of a comeback. With one man down, Palace sensed the road was clear and duly delivered a late blow: Pino’s goal in the 88th minute put the tie beyond doubt.
Following the full-time whistle, Arne Slot defended his selection, citing ongoing injury concerns and a congested fixture list as reasons for the rotations. “With the squad we have, maybe 15, 16 first-team players available, this is the choice I’ve made,” he said, while acknowledging that the club’s standards were not met.
Nevertheless, for many supporters, the performance felt like a self-inflicted setback rather than an understandable risk.
Indeed, Liverpool’s lack of cohesion was evident in every phase: the build-up was disjointed, their territorial dominance rarely translated into meaningful threat, and defensively they looked vulnerable in wide areas and slow in transitions. Palace, by contrast, looked sharp, compact, and ruthless.
Their opener came as Liverpool tried to force the game, leaving gaps that Sarr exploited. Their second goal exposed the hosts’ inability to adjust or assert control, and the late strike simply underscored the gap in preparation and confidence.
From the Palace perspective, the victory was a statement of intent. Sarr continued proving himself a specialist against Liverpool, while Glasner’s setup looked organised, ambitious, and supremely suited to exploiting the hosts’ weaknesses.
Looking forward, Liverpool face a tricky fixture list, and the timing of this collapse is unfortunate. The club must now regroup quickly, restore belief, and elevate performance levels before the upcoming Premier League matches that loom large.