Alan Shearer and Paul Merson on same page with Liverpool vs Crystal Palace prediction

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The former Premier League stars are expecting a one-sided affair at Anfield on Saturday, given that the clubs have very different priorities at this stage of the season

Alan Shearer and Paul Merson both predict a comfortable Liverpool win on Saturday against Crystal Palace(Image: Getty Images)

Pundits Alan Shearer and Paul Merson are in agreement that Liverpool will beat Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Reds head into the Premier League game on the back of a two-match winning run that has helped shift the mood around Anfield. Chelsea’s spiraling form has certainly helped in that sense, with the Blues no longer Liverpool’s biggest rivals for a Champions League finish.

A victory over Palace would move Liverpool eight points clear of sixth place with just four matches remaining of the Premier League season - and with Palace’s focus on a European semi-final coming in a few days, both Shearer and Merson are predicting the Reds will earn an important victory.

“Liverpool scraped a win against Fulham at Anfield recently,” wrote Shearer, in his Betfair weekend preview. “They scraped a win and found a way against their rivals Everton in the derby pretty much in the same way, and I think they will have too much for Palace. Home win.

“It is a great opportunity for Palace to win a European competition,” he added. “Winning the FA Cup last year, it would be great again winning a trophy in Europe, so my guess is all their eyes will be on Europe and not on the Premier League.”

That’s a view shared by Merson. “I can't see anything but a Liverpool win here,” he claimed via Sportskeeda.

“Crystal Palace have a big game coming up in the Europa Conference League against Shakhtar Donetsk next Thursday.

Palace has already beaten Liverpool three times this season

“Honestly, Palace's season entirely depends on the next two Thursdays. They have done enough to stay up in the Premier League and should now put all their eggs in one basket to try and win that trophy.

“Liverpool got a massive result last weekend in the derby against Everton. If Liverpool get three points in this game, I'd be shocked if they still miss out on Champions League football next season.”

Merson, the ex-Arsenal star, predicted Liverpool would earn a 3-0 victory and questioned whether the Eagles would win another league match this season.

Adam Wharton is available for Saturday's game(Image: Getty Images)

However, Merson has also cautioned that the Reds will need to be cautious with Alexander Isak as he returns from a four-month injury lay-off.

“He [Isak] has hardly played any football this season and with the World Cup also coming up, he could be asked to play too minutes in a short span of time.

“If his minutes are not managed properly, Liverpool could risk losing him to another injury. I have no doubt that Arne Slot will have this in his mind.”