Crystal Palace welcome Liverpool to Selhurst Park on Sunday with their poor form placing Pierre Sage’s side in the Premier League’s bottom three. The Eagles have suffered three consecutive defeats without scoring, conceding nine goals in the process, and have allowed more goals than any other top-flight team.
Their latest setback at Tottenham was heavily shaped by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s dismissal after 13 minutes. Palace managed only two shots, two touches in the opposition penalty area and 21% possession, while Tottenham recorded 34 attempts, 67 touches in the box and an expected-goals figure of 3.26 compared with Palace’s 0.14.
The wider numbers make for similarly difficult reading. Across 2026, Palace have lost 15 matches and conceded 52 goals, both league highs among teams that have remained in the top flight throughout the period. They have also won six games and scored 29 goals, figures that are joint lows in those categories. Palace have faced 79 more shots than they have taken this season, the biggest negative difference in the division. In each of the previous seven campaigns, the only teams to have recorded a differential at least that large after nine matches were Sheffield United in 2023-24, Leicester in 2024-25 and Burnley last season; all were relegated.
Defending crosses and set-pieces will be a particular concern after Tottenham scored twice with headers. Those goals took Palace’s total of goals conceded from headers to six, double the figure recorded by any other Premier League side.
There is, however, a more positive recent trend for the Eagles to draw on. After losing 10 successive league meetings with Liverpool, Palace have lost only three of the clubs’ past eight encounters. One of last season’s four meetings also brought Palace a home league victory over Liverpool for the first time since 2014.
Liverpool arrive after two consecutive defeats, but their away record remains a warning for Palace. They have collected 10 points on the road, a total bettered only by Arsenal, and 67% of their points have come away from home. Andoni Iraola is unbeaten in his 13 Premier League away matches in 2026, making Palace’s need to halt their defensive decline even more pressing.
