Crystal Palace

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Crystal Palace host Brentford on Saturday afternoon after both clubs reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup in resounding fashion earlier this week.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at Selhurst Park.

Battle of the long throw

Crystal Palace and Brentford meet in the Premier League following League Cup wins, although it is the Bees who are in better form in the Premier League.

Brentford, who defeated Grimsby Town 5-0 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, have won three of their last four Premier League matches, including a 3-2 triumph over Liverpool last weekend.

Victory against the reigning champions was the latest example of Brentford using defender Michael Kayode's battery of long-throws effectively, with one leading to Dango Ouattara's opening goal.

It is one of eight occasions that Brentford have scored a Premier League goal from a throw-in since the start of last season – at least five more than any other side.

Set-piece expertise

Focusing on such a tactic is no surprise given the involvement of Keith Andrews, first as set-piece coach and then as head coach following the departure of Tottenham-bound Thomas Frank ahead of this season.

After losing at Gtech Community Stadium last weekend, Liverpool manager Arne Slot said: "They're a very good team in winning duels and second balls and you have to give them credit for that.

"It's also difficult to win a game of football if the set-piece balance is in their favour."

And after Manchester City edged a 1-0 win at Gtech Community Stadium at the start of October, match-winner Erling Haaland said: "It was a tough game and reminded me of Stoke City with Rory Delap 15 years ago."

A meeting of similar styles

Brentford have put 47 long throws into the box, at least nine more than any other side, although second on that list is Crystal Palace.

The Eagles host Brentford after beating Liverpool for a third time this season (including on penalties in the Community Shield) to end a four-game winless run in all competitions.

Palace have lost on two of their last three league outings – the same number of defeats as in their previous 19 games combined – but their success in the Premier League this season has ben built on similar tactics to Saturday's visitors.

Only the Eagles (18) have generated more shots from throw-ins than Brentford (17) this season, while Palace and Brentford rank in the Premier League's top three teams for direct speed – meaning attacks that progress the most quickly in terms of metres gained during open play.

If similar styles should make for an intriguing contest this weekend, Brentford have got the better of the Eagles in the Premier League, achieving the league double in this fixture last season and losing only once in their eight meetings.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at Selhurst Park (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Chris Richards is available to face Brentford after missing the fixture against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday due to a minor calf issue.

• However, Eddie Nketiah, who started at Anfield, is out after picking up a "minor muscle injury" while Adam Wharton is still unavailable due to illness.

• More on Wharton: "He is getting better, but he had fever and we don't and can't take any risks. We have a responsibility to the players, so that means he will miss this game. Hopefully he is available for [Thursday against] Alkmaar."

• With Nketiah absent from Saturday's squad, Glasner was asked about his strength in forward areas: "Of course, from the squad, from the players who were here, Ismaïla Sarr can play up front. And we have [Christantus] Uche who can play up front, or maybe, if JP has to rest, we have to find a false nine. We tried this once in the pre-season. It worked quite well, to be honest."

• He added: "I don't see any problem with JP the next three games, and then Eddie should be back."

• Looking ahead to the Africa Cup of Nations, Glasner said: "We'll have to find solutions when the Africa Cup [of Nations] is played in December and January. It looks like we will miss Ismaila and maybe Uche for nine or 10 games. We have to find solutions and we will find one."

• Glaser is "really upset" with Palace's "irresponsible" fixture schedule in December, following their progression in the Carabao Cup, which will currently see the club play three times in five days across three competitions.

• He said: "I was really upset when I heard it for the first time yesterday. I couldn't even believe that they were considering this. I'm really upset but I spoke about this issue three months ago when I looked at the schedule. In the summer, the off-season, there are people who work on this and I would really like it if they talked together."

• He added: "It would be nice if Uefa, the Premier League and the FA talked together because it's so surprising. It would be irresponsible playing Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. It would be nice if they all talked together, this is their job, what they get paid for."

• Glasner argues that the Premier League's festive fixture programme should not have been fixed until after the quarter-final draw, in the interest of "player welfare".

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Alex Howell
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The debate around when Arsenal and Crystal Palace will play their Carabao Cup quarter-final match is continuing.

The Eagles are currently facing a severe fixture pile-up with the prospect of four matches in eight days after reaching the last eight of the competition.

Oliver Glasner's side won 3-0 at Liverpool on Wednesday night and have been drawn away to Arsenal in the week beginning 15 December.

Palace are set to host Manchester City in the Premier League on 14 December, play KuPS at Selhurst Park in the Conference League on 18 December and travel to Leeds United in the Premier League on 21 December.

BBC Sport has been told by sources that the dates under discussion are 16 and 23 December, with Christmas Eve also an option.

It is understood that Arsenal's preference is to play the tie on 16 December.

The festive schedule is already extremely busy and representatives of both clubs will be aware of how crucial the recovery period is between games.

This - it seems - is the season of the set piece.

The Premier League debates are more about dead balls than ever before, with some sides enjoying immense success from corner kicks, throw ins or well-worked free-kicks.

What fine timing then for BBC Sport to launch a column with former manager Tony Pulis, a man who seemed to finely extract the fine margins from the game.

You can take in Tony's column on set pieces here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views after Crystal Palace knocked Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 win at Anfield.

Here are some of your comments:

Crystal: It was an excellent performance. Professional and competitive. We can't be responsible for Liverpool's choice of inexperience in the squad. Palace have a small squad and still compete at all levels with three games a week on occasions.

Brian: 3-0 to Palace flattered Liverpool. Palace constantly ripped through their defence and controlled the opposition to having just one shot on target. Sure it was a makeshift Liverpool side but you can only play what's on the pitch and 3-0, against any team Liverpool can put together, is a good result.

Steve: Thoroughly deserved win against a weakened Liverpool side. Palace should have won by a bigger margin, but a win at Anfield is always something to treasure. Good to see Pino score his first goal, and Sarr with two well-taken goals. Let's hope this kickstarts another run of good results.

Stuart: Another clinical Palace game driven by Glasner's selection and working out of the opposition. Slot has a complete disregard for the cup and his own supporters by playing a B-team against Palace and with no back-up on the bench.

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace fans were in jubilant mood after their side secured a comprehensive 3-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Thursday, Palace fan Dan Cook praised the team's professionalism and the control they showed after a shaky start.

"We are such a well-drilled team now and there is a real professionalism with the way we operate," he said.

"In the first 10 minutes or so, I actually thought Liverpool were going to cause us problems. But we got into our stride, and the first goal is always key, but the second, particularly, is what killed it off.

"From that point on, the second half is pretty much a formality, but you have to keep your clean sheet and remain professional, so it's a fantastic game for us."

Reflecting on recent setbacks, Cook highlighted how the result felt like a return to form after frustrating defeats by Everton and AEK Larnaca.

"If you look at the unbeaten run we had of 19 games, we ended up losing to Everton and even that, we led that game after 70 minutes and ended up conceding twice - the second of which came in stoppage time. Then we had the unexpected defeat against AEK Larnaca in the Conference League.

"So just to score two goals in the first half and get that off your back, it was a nice change of pace and then obviously to get the third and keep the clean sheet, it puts us in good spirits for this game against Brentford and if we can pick up three points there, then all of a sudden things are looking rosy in the garden once again."

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Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Although Liverpool's starting 11 against Crystal Palace on Wednesday included 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha and 18-year-old midfielders Trey Nyoni and Kieran Morrison, the line-up also included seven full internationals.

Slot opted for three central defenders, with Scotland's Andy Robertson on the left, England's Joe Gomez in the middle and Japan's Wataru Endo on the right.

Both full-backs have also represented their country too, with left-back Milos Kerkez a regular for Hungary, while Calvin Ramsay has played for Scotland.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner felt it was "disrespectful" to suggest Liverpool had fielded a weakened team and believed his side deserved all the credit.

"It was Arne Slot's decision and we never care what other teams are doing," said the Eagles boss. "I've seen Joe Gomez play for England, win the Champions League, seen Wataru Endo I don't know how many games for Japan.

"I've seen Alexis Mac Allister, he won the World Cup as a starter, Kerkez moved for £40m, [Federico] Chiesa plays for the [Italy] national team, Ngumoha has shown he can score goals in the Premier League.

"It was still a good team and everyone is a member of the Liverpool squad. I was never good enough to be in the Liverpool squad. Maybe it was not the strongest team, but still a very good Liverpool side."

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The EFL has known since the revised format for the three European competitions was agreed by Uefa that their flagship cup competition was going to be affected.

It is why, for the past two seasons, the third round has had to be split over two weeks to prevent clubs in the Champions League and Europa League from playing each other.

Now, the secondary element of the changes has revealed itself.

The week allocated for the EFL Cup quarter-finals - beginning 15 December - is also the 'exclusive week' for the Conference League.

Following their victory at Liverpool, Crystal Palace now find themselves double-booked.

Uefa competitions take priority, so Palace's final Europa Conference League first phase game with Finnish side KuPS will go ahead on Thursday, 18 December, regardless.

But what happens to their EFL Cup quarter-final against Arsenal?

Aside from the allocated week and the week commencing 12 January, when the semi-final first leg is due to take place, Arsenal have a match in every midweek to the beginning of February. If they find themselves in the Champions League play-offs, they might not have one until April - after the final has been played.

This gives the EFL a massive headache.

Does it tell Palace they have to play twice in the same midweek - so Tuesday and Thursday? Does it try to squeeze it into the days just before Christmas, which would mean either Palace playing twice in three days or on Christmas Eve? Or does it have another plan?

It will be fascinating to see how this unfolds.

Crystal Palace are considering making a move for 30-year-old Manchester City and Netherlands defender Nathan Ake next summer. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after a 3-0 win at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup:

"A good win today. It took us 15 minutes to be in the game - we did well, scored nice goals and controlled the game. I don't know how often this happens when you play the champion three times within three months, and you win three times. So, credit to the players."

On Liverpool's team: "We didn't know who they were going to play. Andy Robertson, Endo, Kerkez and Mac Allister. Mac Allister is a world champion and yes, a few young players. Rio Ngumoha has shown already he can score goals.

"In the first 15 minutes we didn't do well, we had the feeling we were still in the hotel beds. We played slowly into the game, we scored nice goals, the performance was OK, but it was not a great performance."

Only eight teams remain in the Carabao Cup and the draw for the quarter-finals has been made.

Holders Newcastle United, who beat Tottenham in their fourth-round tie on Wednesday, have been paired with Fulham in the last eight.

All four ties are scheduled to take place during week commencing 15 December.

• Arsenal v Crystal Palace

• Cardiff City v Chelsea

• Manchester City v Brentford

• Newcastle v Fulham

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist at Anfield

Image source, PA Media

Crystal Palace have now beaten Liverpool three times in three months - having defeated Arne Slot's side on penalties in the Community Shield in August and then won 2-1 in the league at Selhurst Park last month.

The Eagles have never reached the final of this competition, losing in the semi-finals on four occasions, most recently in 2001 - although they had never won the FA Cup or Community Shield before and have picked up both in a six-month golden spell in the club's history.

After Ismaila Sarr's first-half double, they were happy to defend in numbers and let Liverpool have the majority of possession, with the hosts, despite noisy backing from their fans, not testing goalkeeper Walter Benitez in the second half.

Any hope the Liverpool supporters had of fighting back ended when Amara Nallo was sent off only 12 minutes after coming on for bringing down Justin Devenny.

The excellent Yeremy Pino then gave the scoreline a flattering feel with a third goal in the 88th minute as the Eagles fans joyfully mocked the hosts by chanting "can we play you every week?"

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of Crystal Palace's display?

Come back on Thursday for a selection of your replies

Arne Slot has rotated his Liverpool squad, with 10 changes from the side that began the 3-2 loss at Brentford at the weekend.

Milos Kerkez is the only one to stay in the team, which includes 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha and 18-year-old midfielders Trey Nyoni and Kieran Morrison.

Goalkeeper Freddie Woodman makes his first competitive start for the Reds following his summer move from Preston.

Captain Marc Guehi starts in defence for Crystal Palace, who have not changed their side as much as their opponents.

Walter Benitez is in goal in place of Dean Henderson, while Eddie Nketiah starts up front, with Jean-Philippe Mateta among the substitutes.

There are five Carabao Cup games on Wednesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

Kick-off times 19:45 GMT unless stated

• Arsenal v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Liverpool v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Swansea v Manchester City - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Wolves v Chelsea

• Newcastle v Tottenham (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's Radio 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Brighton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Crystal Palace", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Carabao Cup round of 16 game against Liverpool at Anfield (19:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Glasner confirmed defender Chris Richards will miss the trip to Anfield with "a little bit of an issue with his calf" but added that "all the others are fine and recovered well".

• Asked if Richards' injury will keep him out of Saturday's visit of Brentford, Glasner said: "I don't think so at the moment, but we don't take any risks because Chris didn't play against AEK Larnaca – we rested him for that game – so it's not that his load is high. Let's see – I can't tell you more at the moment."

• Glasner also confirmed Jaydee Canvot and Walter Benitez will start against Liverpool: "It's not a gift – they deserve it. Jaydee, I spoke to him and said I don't care about [his error against Larnaca last week], it's part of football. He won a lot of duels, and he's doing well in training. We trust him, and that's why he will start tomorrow in the back three. Walter is the same. He's doing so well in training, and he deserves to get some minutes as well."

• Asked about the future of Marc Guehi, following links with Bayern Munich, Glasner said the defender "can play for every club in the world".

• On Sunday's defeat to Arsenal: "The players showed at the Emirates that they are fit and they could try to get the equaliser until the final whistle, so it looks positive."

• On Arne Slot's side and their recent form: "A little bit more question marks, we don't know which they are playing. Usually in the EFL Cup they would rotate quite a lot. They have a few doubts with injuries but the way they are playing won't really change."

• Reflecting on Palace's form since the international break, Glasner said: "We have taken one point, that is fact. Not the best output but we didn't drop our performances compared to the games before. We watched the Arsenal game back and we gave them two finishes, two shots from open play over 100 minutes at the Emirates. Yes they were better than we were in set-pieces, that's why they won the game."

Follow all of Tuesday's Carabao Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Liverpool v Crystal Palace on Wednesday from 19:45 GMT on BBC Radio 5 Live

Alex Pewter
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Over four days, it was a pair of 1-0 defeats for Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace - two identical scorelines, coming from differing performances. Curiously, the team appeared more comfortable away from home against the Premier League leaders than at home against the travelling team from Cyprus.

The struggle to break down low blocks or to dominate when heavily in possession has been an underlying issue for this Palace team, as was the case on Thursday. It is a scenario that Glasner has not often faced, aside from the early rounds of cup competitions.

As a team that thrives in transition, there will be few match-ups in the Premier League where the team's base 3-4-2-1 setup is not effective, or at least competitive. Even in battles with similar styles, there are often opportunities to counter.

The question is whether fans should be concerned if the likes of AEK Larnaca can successfully defend and frustrate the "stronger" team on paper on occasion. Or, in fact, if it will be an issue that will dissipate should the team make it to the knockout stages of the Conference League, where the balance of play is likely to be more equal.

As a fresh element to the Palace fixture calendar, the Thursday games could act as a palate cleanser with victory, should the team find itself sandwiched between difficult league fixtures.

However, it is possible that losing the opening home fixture in that competition meant the loss to Arsenal only compounded the frustration that may otherwise not have been there.

This continues to be a season of discovery, one where Palace must raise their game to that of favourites in one competition, whilst continuing to play with an underdog spirit in the other. Luckily, there is still time for the team to adjust to that dual reality.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal teenager Dan Casey's move to Crystal Palace is now off.

The 18-year-old, who can play as an attacking midfielder, centre forward or wide attacker, was set to join the Eagles' under-21 setup.

However, no agreement has been able to be reached between the clubs over compensation.

Sources told BBC Sport that a deal was close and that there was the possibility of a a sell-on clause to be included.

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Tino: Arsenal can be more clinical, particularly in the final third. Gyokeres can time his runs to score goals. When the dust settles, Arsenal will be scoring more goals in matches like these. In the second half, they appeared to be made of the right timber.

Gerry: Tough game from a good Palace team. Arsenal are missing some midfield creativity in the past couple of games, but it was a good, resilient performance in defence!

Robin: Efficient, if unspectacular - except for one piece of brilliance from Eze. This is what we needed today against a well-organised Palace defence. It could have been more, but you can't expect to win every game 4-0.

Alexi: Such a crucial win! Eze looked electric and smooth on the ball. These are the games that we would normally lose, but now with the squad that we have, we look unbeatable.

Crystal Palace fans

Pedro: Disappointing, but not surprising. This group of players have performed brilliantly, achieving more than any others. Going on "full gas" has left them tired and ragged. A temporary blip. We'll bounce back.

Al: Another game with only one shot on target. The bounce has gone out of the last two performances, and late substitutions did not help. The team is looking tired. Rotation needed - Nketiah for Mateta and Esse or Uche for Pino.

Steve: Arsenal were there for the taking but once again Palace were not clinical in the box. Sarr and Pino were distinctly average. Mateta ran and ran, but failed to hold the ball up. Wharton and Kamada spent a lot of time chasing shadows, and need to contribute with goals.

Pundits Danny Murphy and Theo Walcott join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City

• Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

• Wolves 2-3 Burnley

• Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest

• Everton 0-3 Tottenham

Barcelona have tabled an offer in the region of 30m euros (£26.2m) for 29-year-old Colombia and Crystal Palace right-back Daniel Munoz. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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