Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace: Is Arne Slot's future now secure with top-five finish?

Ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash betwixt Liverpool and Crystal Palace, Sports Mole's experts discussed what the lucifer means for some sides, and whether Liverpool's title-winning manager Arne Slot remains nether unit with a top-five spot present astir secure.

Ben Knapton, tract coordinator

Liverpool person been connected the receiving extremity of truthful galore 90th-minute goals against them, but they've present scored six 90th-minute winners against Everton successful the Premier League, the astir immoderate squad has scored against different successful Premier League history.

As a Liverpool fan, you conscionable couldn't constitute it. It's a cliché, but you couldn't truly constitute it: winning it with a superb Van Dijk header close astatine the end.

Obviously determination is simply a large interest coming into this Palace game, though - not conscionable the head-to-head against Palace, of course, having beaten them successful the EFL Cup, Community Shield, and Premier League successful the past 12 months.

Their mediocre head-to-head grounds aside, Ismaila Sarr loves a extremity against Liverpool, truthful I deliberation you should spot a stake connected that close away!

If helium starts, of course, this weekend, and it'll beryllium against Freddie Woodman successful goal. It doesn't look similar Alisson is going to beryllium backmost for this one, Mamardashvili got that heavy coiled to the genu successful the process of trying to halt Beto's extremity past weekend.

Reports are saying helium could beryllium retired for betwixt 2 and 4 weeks, truthful we'll spot if Alisson is backmost for the Man United fixture. It could beryllium Freddie Woodman successful extremity again.

But of course, erstwhile helium came connected successful the derby, helium didn't person a full batch to do, but what helium did bash helium did well, helium did it professionally. So I don't deliberation determination are immoderate immense concerns, either wrong oregon extracurricular of Anfield, astir Woodman being successful extremity this weekend.

The ironic happening is helium made his afloat debut for Liverpool successful the EFL Cup nonaccomplishment to Palace successful October. But that was a crippled wherever Slot's squad enactment was just... helium was intelligibly sacking disconnected the League Cup. It was a due second-string enactment from Slot backmost then.

But of course, Liverpool present person that breathing abstraction successful the top-five race. It feels similar the unit has eased ever truthful somewhat connected Slot.

Not hugely - I deliberation a batch of fans would inactive beryllium blessed to spot the backmost of him - but the mode of that derby win, and a bully triumph against Fulham the erstwhile weekend, has conscionable eased it ever truthful slightly.

And if they tin unafraid that apical five, the committee person a monolithic determination to make, but things are looking somewhat rosier close present for Liverpool.

We've spoken earlier astir the changes Palace made for that West Ham game, disconnected the backmost of their inconsequential nonaccomplishment to Fiorentina. They mightiness good person 1 oculus connected that Shakhtar semi-final coming up.

The large interest for Palace this play is whether Adam Wharton volition feature. He's been struggling with an adductor contented ever since helium near the England camp.

If helium does play, it could beryllium a imaginable audition for a determination to Anfield this summer. Of course, you'd expect Liverpool to marque astatine slightest 1 large midfield signing this summer, whether that is Adam Wharton oregon idiosyncratic similar Elliot Anderson, that remains to beryllium seen.

But adjacent though they haven't got overmuch to combat for successful the Premier League, Palace are unbeaten successful 4 present successful the league.

Finishing with a flourish is possibly a spot excessively far-fetched to say, but if they tin propulsion for that top-half spot and triumph the Conference League, past Glasner is truly leaving connected a high.

Matt Law, Football Editor

It's evidently been a mediocre play for Liverpool, but if Liverpool were sitting ninth oregon 10th successful the league, six oregon 7 points disconnected the apical five, it's a antithetic conversation, isn't it? I deliberation that's the point.

Taking it backmost to erstwhile United mislaid Ferguson, everyone seemed to deliberation that the gripe was that United weren't winning league rubric aft league title. No, it wasn't that.

You can't spell from archetypal to 14th, 15th, seventh, eighth. If you're going to person a atrocious season, similar you've said, conscionable marque definite you're finishing successful the apical 4 oregon five, depending connected what brings Champions League.

I deliberation you'd astir apt support Slot, but what would beryllium absorbing is if adjacent play you were to commencement badly, it would evidently springiness the owners a spot of a determination to make.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter

I deliberation Slot's inactive a decent manager. People person got to springiness him recognition for what helium did successful the archetypal season, and if they bash get Champions League football, past just play to them.

I deliberation if idiosyncratic similar Xabi Alonso came in, helium would astir apt beryllium arsenic arsenic bully a manager - possibly a somewhat antithetic benignant of football.

But successful presumption of challenging for the rubric adjacent season, that'll beryllium the purpose whoever comes successful arsenic Liverpool manager, truthful I deliberation the main happening for Slot present is to get Champions League football, and it looks similar they volition do.

Getting a triumph against Crystal Palace present would perchance cement that arsenic well.