Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Carabao Cup 25/26 Fourth Round - Liverpool v Crystal Palace Match Report

Match Report


Liverpool were eliminated from the Carabao Cup as Crystal Palace won 3-0 at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

A much-changed Reds line-up fell two goals behind just before the interval as Ismaila Sarr struck twice in four minutes.

Arne Slot's side could not find a way back into the fourth-round tie after the break and Yeremy Pino added to the visitors' lead late on, following the hosts being reduced to 10 players.

Team

Amid 10 alterations made by Slot, there were competitive club debuts for Freddie Woodman in goal and Kieran Morrison as part of the attack.

Calvin Ramsay returned for his first senior Reds appearance since November 2022 as Andy Robertson captained the side.

First half

Liverpool made a bright start to the sides' third meeting already this season, seeking their first win of the rapid series.

Rio Ngumoha was blocked out as he looked to open his body and strike, before the ball was recycled to Milos Kerkez and his hoisted cross was misjudged by Morrison with his header.

A frequent out ball down the left, Ngumoha was a few inches wide of the far post with a swirler from the corner of the box having side-stepped into space.

Neither goalkeeper had been particularly burdened until the visitors' Walter Benitez was called upon just shy of the half-hour.

Ngumoha brought down a cross-field pass, drew three opponents and slipped in Federico Chiesa, though the slightly narrowing angle meant the Italian's low drive was saved with a boot.

Woodman made a comfortable catch from a Will Hughes effort, but it was the Eagles who would break the deadlock.

The opener came in the 41st minute, Daichi Kamada's lofted pass into the penalty area attacked by Daniel Munoz. Joe Gomez got in a touch to stop Munoz but the ball rolled to Sarr to slide in a first-time finish.

It proved to be a double punch by the Emirates FA Cup holders before the interval.

Sarr flicked a forward pass on to Pino and ran through to collect a return from his teammate, then clinically swept across Woodman for 0-2.

Second half

There were blocked attempts at each end early in the second half, as the home crowd tried to rally their team.

Palace had introduced Jean-Philippe Mateta when play resumed and he was a lively threat, needing to be snuffed out by Robertson when bearing down on goal just past the hour.

Slot's first changes arrived midway through the half and included another senior debut, this time for defender Wellity Lucky.

Liverpool were struggling to find a spark, though, and Benitez was relatively untroubled in the Eagles' net.

And the Reds' frustrations were compounded by the dismissal of Amara Nallo - also brought on from the bench - 11 minutes from the end.

The Academy centre-back was attempting to prevent Justin Devenny from running clear to meet Mateta's pass in behind and was given a straight red card when the Palace man went down.

The away team then extended their advantage to three in the closing moments, Pino threading an effort into the bottom corner after they had turned over possession.

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