Mark Stockport: Come on Wilf do us all a favour. Lets see some Zaha magic.

Here come the sides, Liverpool's Covid-era dressing room looks like a portakabin at the other end of the car park. Proper Saturday morning vibes.

All set?

The pitch is getting such a soaking from the sprinklers at Selhurst Park that our man on the mic Steve Wilson is getting some splashback. Settle!

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think there's a fine balance between knocking someone down a peg or two and youngsters needing an arm around them. They also need to be told that they have done well in the game.

I thought Jordan Henderson did that really well [against Tottenham] in the way that he told everyone how good they were. He also made a point of telling them they were great after the game, in terms of performance on the pitch.

I think it's important the senior players do that and Jordan Henderson and James Milner have done that whenever the youngsters have come in to that Liverpool side and made them feel welcome.

Several football clubs must close their doors again today after Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed changes to the coronavirus tier system.

A limited number of supporters returned to some grounds after the national lockdown ended on 2 December.

However, Hancock announced on Thursday that Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Peterborough, the whole of Hertfordshire, most of Surrey and parts of Sussex and Hampshire would move from tier two to tier three.

There'll be no fans in Tier 3 Palace today - check where your side fits in here.

Dion Dublin
Former Aston Villa & Man Utd striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don't mind the five subs, I'm talking about the space for younger players - that's why I think five subs would be good. There should be more space for youth.

Christian Benteke pops up in the main stand, a beaming smile visible even under his mask. What a turnaround in recent form for him - he'll be missed by the hosts today.

I hope it's a pleasant day wherever you are - I had the sun on my back on my morning dog walk and it looks to be a fresh but fine lunchtime at Selhurst Park as well.

Both sides are concluding their warm-ups now, kick-off fast approaching.

Image source, Reuters

Liverpool can be league leaders at Christmas for the third consecutive season. They would be the first club to achieve this since they did this themselves from 1978 to 1980.

Chris Baldwin: You can hear the collective groan from fantasy managers all over the country. Salah has been benched!!!

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Mo Salah is only on the Liverpool bench but no player in Premier League history has scored more goals against Crystal Palace than Sadio Mane (9, level with Jermain Defoe).

Image source, BBC Sport

Crystal Palace are without Christian Benteke. The former Liverpool forward sits out through suspension.

It’s a total of four changes for Roy Hodgson’s side who shared the points with West Ham last time out. Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Jeffrey Schlupp and Jordan Ayew are in. Joel Ward, Scott Dann, Andros Townsend and Benteke miss out.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita (GK), van Aanholt, Cahill, Kouyate, Clyne, Eze, McArthur, Milivojevic, Schlupp, Zaha, Ayew.

Subs: Butland (GK),Ward, Tomkins, Dann, Townsend, McCarthy, Batshuayi, Mitchell, Riedewald

Image source, .

Mohamed Salah is only on the bench for Liverpool but Joel Matip returns to the starting XI after missing out on the champions' win over Spurs with a back injury.

Jurgen Klopp makes three changes to the side that won on Wednesday. Salah, Rhys Williams and Curtis Jones all drop out. Takumi Minamino, Naby Keita and Matip all come in.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson, Keita, Henderson (c), Wijnaldum, Minamino, Firmino, Mane

Subs: Adrián (GK), Kelleher (GK), Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Origi, Williams, Phillips, Williams.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have kept just one clean sheet in their last 21 Premier League matches, a 1-0 win over Southampton in their first game of 2020-21. Their current 12-game run without a shutout is their worst since a 14-game run between May and November 2017.

Trent Alexander-Arnold becomes the fifth-youngest player to reach 150 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions (22y 73d), behind Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Phil Thompson and Jamie Redknapp.

Crystal Palace

Palace boss Roy Hodgson to BT Sport: "We are very positive, it's always a pleasure to welcome a team like Liverpool to Selhurst Park. Our mood is good after three good performances.

"Christian Benteke would have been a handful for Liverpool but we have been robbed of that. Jordan Ayew has always done well for us.

"Nathaniel Clyne has recovered fantastically from a serious injury and he's delighted to play against his former club.

"You don't become champions of England and Europe without the ability they have got - they find a way of restarting from zero every time."

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to BT Sport: "Both teams are in the same situation, playing Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday so it will be a tough ask. Palace are playing a similar system to Tottenham, they like to counter attack so we have to go again.

"Mo Salah is on the bench, they have all played a lot of games. He can come on and make a difference. We need all the boys.

"Bringing in Eze in was smart business for Palace, Schlupp has found his position, Zaha is playing higher - it is a proper Premier League team."