Crystal Palace Stuns Rotated Liverpool Squad to Knock Reds Out of Carabao Cup

A youthful Liverpool side suffered their sixth loss in seven recent outings as Crystal Palace dominated them 3-0 in Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash.

This fourth round fixture marked the third meeting between these teams this campaign, with Liverpool having lost both previous encounters, and Arne Slot's heavily rotated squad found themselves in a familiar predicament at the interval, trailing by two goals. Ismaïla Sarr's rapid double strike deepened the Reds' ongoing struggles.

Liverpool failed to produce any meaningful comeback attempt in the second period and witnessed academy prospect Amara Nallo receive his second career red card late in the proceedings, compounding their difficulties. Yéremy Pino sealed the victory with a third goal in stoppage time as the Reds crashed out of the Carabao Cup in disappointing fashion.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Crystal Palace (3-4-3)

*Rating provided by FotMob*

GK: Freddie Woodman—6.7: Could do nothing about Sarr's first-half double as his defensive line collapsed before the break, while Pino's late strike was also beyond his reach.

CB: Wataru Endo—5.7: Deployed in a three-man backline as the right-sided centre-back and was spun too easily by Sarr for Palace's second goal. Showed composure on the ball and made several crucial blocks, but never appeared fully settled in the defensive role.

CB: Joe Gomez—5.2: Sloppy defending from the England international allowed Sarr to open the scoring, with Gomez making only a token effort to clear the ball. Also absent for Palace's second in what proved a frustrating performance from Liverpool's sole natural centre-back.

CB: Andy Robertson—6.1: Displayed commitment and intensity but struggled against Sarr and company in an unnatural position. Substituted just after the hour as Slot looked to manage players ahead of the weekend Villa fixture.

RWB: Calvin Ramsay—6.0: Liverpool's overlooked fullback made his first outing since the 2022-23 campaign for the Reds and nearly conceded a penalty late in the opening half after awkwardly colliding with Eddie Nketiah. Offered little threat going forward or defensively.

CM: Trey Nyoni—6.0: Predictably found the physical demands challenging, with the 18-year-old overpowered in challenges and losing composure under pressure. Nyoni faced a difficult test against an organized opponent and understandably struggled throughout.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—6.3: Attempted to control proceedings in midfield and maintain possession despite Palace's pressing. However, he received minimal support from colleagues, frequently finding himself outnumbered and without passing options.

LWB: Milos Kerkez—5.8: The sole holdover from the Brentford loss and did nothing to improve his standing before the Anfield faithful. Another anxious display where he lost numerous one-on-one battles.

RW: Kieran Morrison—6.2: Struggled to influence proceedings during an unexpected start, giving away possession carelessly and rushing his limited opportunities. The 18-year-old received minimal assistance from teammates.

ST: Federico Chiesa—6.3: Deployed as an improvised striker and battled against Palace's physical centre-backs. Displayed flashes of ability but wasted the few chances that came his way.

LW: Rio Ngumoha—6.2: Among Liverpool's few positives. Ngumoha demonstrated remarkable courage from kickoff to threaten Palace consistently, utilizing his pace and ball control to drive the Reds forward.

Subs not used: Ármin Pésci (GK), Carter Pinnington, Michael Laffey, Tommy Pilling, Keyrol Figueroa.

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1)

Starting XI: Walter Benítez; Jaydee Canvot, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guéhi; Daniel Muñoz, Will Hughes, Daichi Kamada, Borna Sosa; Ismaïla Sarr, Yéremy Pino; Eddie Nketiah.

Subs used: Jean-Philippe Mateta, Justin Devenny, Jefferson Lerma, Rio Cardines, Christantus Uche.

Player of the Match: Ismaïla Sarr

Liverpool Player of the Match: Federico Chiesa, Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool 0–3 Crystal Palace—How It Unfolded at Anfield

Slot's lineup choices surprised Merseyside observers before kickoff, with the Dutch manager making 10 alterations from the weekend Brentford loss. Milos Kerkez remained as the sole survivor while fringe players received starting opportunities, and the substitutes' bench featured exclusively youth academy players. Slot also adjusted the formation to mirror Palace's three-at-the-back system.

Liverpool began promisingly despite the wholesale changes, primarily due to Rio Ngumoha's courage and determination. The 17-year-old, who netted the winner at Newcastle United in August, spearheaded most positive moments early on and created the Reds' opening opportunity as he drifted inside and curled narrowly wide from distance.

Federico Chiesa wasted Liverpool's clearest first-half chances as he blazed over before shooting straight at Walter Benítez from close quarters, and the Italian's wastefulness was costly as Palace struck before halftime. Liverpool's persistent tormentor Sarr maintained his impressive record against the Reds by firing Palace ahead following careless home defending.

Sarr had already found the net in both previous meetings with Liverpool this season and reached the interval at Anfield with two goals to his name. A superb Palace attack carved open Slot's team and the Senegalese forward finished clinically from short range, stroking past debutant Freddie Woodman.

We trail at the break. pic.twitter.com/AiElUFazZB

Liverpool made token efforts to close the gap after resumption but consistently failed to penetrate Palace's organized defense and trouble Benítez. The visitors, conversely, had little difficulty cutting through the Reds, though most of their second-half attempts were directed straight at Woodman.

Slot eventually introduced several bench youngsters in the final stages—changes that essentially acknowledged another disappointing result. Wellity Lucky earned his Reds debut and entered alongside Nallo and Kaide Gordon to inject fresh energy.

Nallo, who was dismissed on his debut last season in the Champions League, compounded a miserable evening for the Reds by collecting another red card in just his second club appearance. The 18-year-old committed an almost identical offense to his PSV Eindhoven dismissal last term, dragging down Justin Devenny as he broke clear on goal.

Slot's reduced side simply aimed to limit further damage in the closing minutes but couldn't prevent Pino from adding Palace's third. The Spanish forward opened his club account with a precise finish into the far corner to heap additional misery on the struggling Reds.

Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace Half Time Stats

Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace Full Time Stats