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When Crystal Palace last traveled to Anfield for the final game of the 2024/25 season, the famous old ground was buzzing with excitement and elation.
The Liverpool fans were out in full force, eager to see their side lift the title for the first time in 35 years. Palace, on the other hand, was still giddy a week on from its FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City.
Perhaps the mood on that sunny, late spring afternoon was best encapsulated by the double guard of honor. The game itself felt inconsequential; if anything, it was a distraction. It was time for a party, not a soccer match.
On Wednesday, when the sides lock horns again at Anfield, expect a different mood to course around the stadium. Neither side has much to celebrate now.
Admittedly, Palace’s run of three defeats in four feels more like an unfortunate sequence of results rather than a genuine backslide. Oliver Glasner was keen to point out in his pre-match press conference that recent performances have been good despite the scorelines.
The same can’t be said for Liverpool, though. The Reds have looked convincing only once this season — against a naive Eintracht Frankfurt side that let them dictate play.
No other team has committed the same error this season. Even in the previous Carabao Cup round against Championship strugglers Southampton, it took a late Hugo Ekitike goal to secure Liverpool’s passage.
Given the Reds’ fortunes this season, some fans may even wonder if an early exit would be best. After all, fixture congestion has been an issue this season, and it was no surprise that Brentford looked fresher on Saturday after a full week of preparation.
Should Liverpool beat Palace and progress to a Carabao Cup quarterfinal, it would add an additional fixture in December, a month with seven matches already penciled in.
Still, believing a midweek defeat would help Liverpool would be misguided. After all, defending its Premier League crown is looking an increasingly forlorn hope, while winning the Champions League will always be a daunting prospect.
There are only two more prizes on offer after that: the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Jurgen Klopp knows all too well how important domestic competitions can be for a managerial CV — and the German’s looked much healthier following the three winners’ medals he accrued in his final years in charge.
For Slot, repeating that trick could make this transitional campaign far more palatable. The beleaguered Dutchman will take a win from anywhere at this stage. Otherwise, a sixth defeat in seven really would ramp up the pressure ahead of Aston Villa on Saturday, while victory should raise spirits in the camp.
Wednesday’s game also represents a chance for several fringe members to make their mark. Federico Chiesa made an impression in the previous round against Southampton – may a repeat force Slot to consider handing him a Premier League start?
Andy Robertson could muster a convincing case to play against Villa if he were to put in another solid display in midweek, while Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo will hope to give Slot a fresh option to consider.
Perhaps even more importantly, the less glaring spotlight on the Palace game may afford some of those underperforming regulars to gain rhythm and put in a confidence-boosting display. That applies to Conor Bradley, Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah.
Slot will invariably rest some key men, but given the number of injuries, some first-team regulars will play a significant role at Anfield on Wednesday. A win and a competent display would help lift the mood as the nights draw in.
That sun-strewn day at Anfield five months ago is beginning to feel like a distant memory, but for Slot and Liverpool, the climb back to those heights begins now.
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