Crystal Palace have Champions League defenders and Championship attackers - European Football

Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace | The Eagles went into this encounter having beaten their hosts three times in all competitions this season.

But as the coach departed Anfield and headed for the airport post-match, the feeling must have been distinctly like the defeat on the other side of town back in October when their 19-game unbeaten run came to an end against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everything seemed to conspire against Palace, who turned in what was, without question, one of the best displays of the campaign.

The difference was simple. Liverpool were clinical in front of goal, Palace were not.

Three shots on target all afternoon for the home side – three goals with an XG of 0.91. By contrast, Oliver Glasner’s men netted only once, despite recording an XG of 2.32.

A frustrating afternoon. Almost the perfect cocktail. Profligate finishing, inconsistent refereeing and Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper having the game of his life.

Former Palace schoolboy and lifelong Eagles fan Freddie Woodman had the sort of game he would have dreamed of the night before. The keeper – who left Palace after his father Andy relocated to Newcastle to become part of Alan Pardew’s backroom team – stood proudly in front of the Kop at the final whistle as his name echoed around the stadium.

Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman following the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Saturday April 25, 2026. (Image: PA)

The game was encapsulated in a matter of seconds when Woodman produced a superb reaction save to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta five minutes before the break. The ball broke and ended up with Andy Robertson, who had galloped from one end of the field to the other to slot past Dean Henderson with aplomb. Instead of going in all square at half-time, Palace were two goals adrift.

Goalkeeper coach Andy Quy was one of a batch of cheap bookings handed out by referee Andy Madley for protesting a free-kick awarded in the six-yard area late on, which was taken on the edge of the penalty box.

This after the man-in-the-middle had pedantically insisted Yeremy Pino’s corner-kick was inside the quadrant. At least the use of VAR saved Madley after his inexplicable decision to award Mohammed Salah a penalty, despite Brennan Johnson clearly playing the ball.

It was that sort of day.

Forward thinking required

Though Lady Luck was nowhere to be seen near the Mersey, it wasn’t the only reason that Palace didn’t record victory number four against the Reds.

It certainly had the feeling of a movie that had been on repeat numerous times this season.

The lack of a ruthless streak in attack has been Palace’s achilles heel this season. Having started the campaign with a lack of numbers in forward areas, costing numerous points along the way, bodies were added during the winter transfer window.

Though the options increased, it would be fair to say there is still a lack of quality.

An unimaginative policy of signing players who were not making an impression at their Premier League clubs followed on from a summer where Yeremy Pino and Christantus Uche were added. Having plied their trade in La Liga, neither has been able to translate that same level of form since arriving in SE25.

Palace are at the bottom of the Premier League for successful dribbles, and the third lowest scorers – only the bottom two have scored less. It is Championship form.

Crystal Palace’s Brennan Johnson reacts during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London. Picture date: Monday April 20, 2026. (Image: PA)

In contrast, Palace are Champions League standard defensively, with only Manchester City and Arsenal conceding less than Glasner’s men.

Both the facts and the eye test underline the need to revamp the attacking areas this summer, with some tough decisions to be made.

Mateta is likely to move on, with just twelve months remaining on his contract. Uche and Evan Guessand’s loan deals are expiring. Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah’s hamstring injuries have blighted his season.

Big money was spent on Jorgen Strand-Larsen and Brennan Johnson. The former looks like a top finisher, but often hasn’t imposed himself physically in games, while Johnson has struggled to make an impression thus far. That said, his last two displays have been a little more encouraging. Only Ismaila Sarr has consistently convinced.

Having enjoyed so many special attacking players with individual quality over the past decade, a changing of the guard is desperately needed in the close season.