The warm-up act to the main event, Liverpool conclude a triumphant 2024-25 Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday, before hoisting the trophy aloft in front of a spirited Anfield crowd.
The Reds are yet to win a match since being crowned champions of England, while FA Cup winners Palace - who will face Arne Slot's side in the Community Shield - can still sneak into the top half of the Premier League table.
Match preview
© Iconsport
Breaking the best kind of records left, right and centre during the 2024-25 campaign, Liverpool actually wrote a new unwanted chapter of history on Monday night, becoming the first team to fail to win any of their first three Premier League games since wrapping up the title.
On the back of a forgivable defeat to Chelsea and second-half collapse against closest 'challengers' - using that term loosely - Arsenal, Liverpool could not cling on to two leads against Brighton & Hove Albion, who maintained their push for Europe courtesy of an enthralling 3-2 victory.
The Amex outcome could have been much different had FWA Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah not missed a sitter which seemed easier to score, but as soon as Liverpool's name was etched onto the Premier League trophy, anything else they did in 2024-25 was inconsequential.
Five years on from celebrating at an empty Anfield at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liverpool will experience a Premier League trophy lift in front of a sell-out crowd for the first time ever, potentially having maintained a stellar unbeaten record.
Indeed, when closing out the season at Anfield, Liverpool have never lost their final match in the Premier League era, and they could become just the third English top-flight side to net at least two goals in as many as 32 games in one season, and the first since Tottenham Hotspur in 1961.
© Imago
Not only the home contingent will be in full-blown party mode on Sunday, as Crystal Palace make the long journey north still basking in the glow of their historic FA Cup success and can also expect a rousing reception from the Liverpool faithful after prolonging Manchester City's misery.
Oliver Glasner's champions had to cut their celebrations short to host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night, where a rotated Eagles side may have been considered underdogs, but stand-in striker Eddie Nketiah belatedly found his shooting boots at Selhurst Park.
In the space of just five minutes, the ex-Arsenal man scored double the amount of goals he had managed in his first 27 Premier League appearances for the club, while Ben Chilwell's free kick and the customary Eberechi Eze strike propelled Palace to a 4-2 win.
One point adrift of Bournemouth and two worse off than Fulham, 12th-placed Palace will force their way into the top 10 with a shock win at Anfield if other results go their way, and a seven-game unbeaten run across all tournaments stands the visitors in particularly good stead.
Furthermore, the Eagles are no strangers to spoiling the Anfield party, as each of their last four Premier League wins against Liverpool has come away from home - including in this fixture last season - but the outcome of Sunday's finale will not dampen the spirits of either set of supporters.
Team News
© Imago
Only two Liverpool troops will play no part in the Reds' final game of the season, as Alexis Mac Allister is on the mend from a groin problem, while fellow midfielder Tyler Morton has been nursing a shoulder injury for months.
Long-serving defender Joe Gomez was back on the bench at the Amex as he made his long-awaited return from a hamstring problem, but having not made it onto the pitch on Monday, Slot may not deem the Englishman ready for a starting spot.
Instead, Conor Bradley should reprise his role at right-back over Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold, the latter of whom could make his final Liverpool appearance, although the reaction to his entrance against Arsenal could very well lead Slot to spare him entirely.
On Palace's end, Liverpool-linked Adam Wharton will miss out on a potential Anfield audition due to the concussion he suffered at the end of the FA Cup final, while Marc Guehi's participation is also in doubt due to his freak eye injury from Wembley.
The pair are being kept company in the treatment room by long-term knee victims Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure, but the visitors picked up no fresh concerns against Wolves, where Will Hughes's half-time withdrawal for Justin Devenny was seemingly tactical.
Dynamic duo Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta were only given 10-minute run-outs at the end of the midweek game, but both attackers are sure to feature from the first whistle at Anfield, as should Joel Ward in what will be the club legend's final Palace appearance.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Jones; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Ward, Richards, Lacroix; Munoz, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
We say: Liverpool 2-1 Crystal Palace
Liverpool slipping up on Sunday would actually be on brand; there have only ever been three instances of an English top-flight champion not winning any of their last four games of a season, and it happened twice to the Reds in 1976-77 and 1982-83.
However, Slot's side can capitalise on the absence of Wharton and likely absence of Guehi to close out a successful season on a high note, before the real celebrations begin for the Premier League and FA Cup champions.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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Ben Knapton
