Liverpool won the 2024-25 Premier League at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday as a warm-up for the main tournament, hoisting the trophy in front of a jubilant Anfield crowd. The Reds have yet to win a game since being crowned champions of England, while FA Cup winners Palace – who will face Arne Sloter’s side in the Community Shield – still have a chance to finish in the top half of the Premier League table.

Liverpool have broken many best-in-class records in the 2024-25 campaign, but on Monday night they wrote an unwelcome new chapter in history by becoming the first team to fail to win their first three Premier League games since their title triumph. After a (forgivable) loss to Chelsea and a second-half defeat to their closest “challenger” – the term is used loosely – Arsenal, Liverpool were unable to hold on to two leads against Brighton and Hove Albion, who kept their European charge alive with a thrilling 3-2 win.

The result at the Amex might have been very different had FWA Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah not missed a seemingly easier-to-score winner, but once Liverpool’s name is engraved on the Premier League trophy, nothing else they do in the 2024-25 season will matter.

Five years ago, Liverpool celebrated their triumph in an empty Anfield during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, for the first time ever, they will lift the Premier League trophy in front of a full house and potentially maintain their glorious unbeaten run. In fact, having never lost their last game in the Premier League era by the time they finish a season at Anfield, Liverpool could become only the third English top-flight team to score at least two goals in 32 games in a season, and the first since Tottenham Hotspur in 1961.

On Sunday, it won’t just be the home fans who will be reveling in the excitement, as Crystal Palace, who travel north, will also be basking in the joy of a historic FA Cup triumph, while also being given a warm welcome by Liverpool fans after continuing Manchester City’s miserable fate.

Oliver Glasner’s Championship side had to cut their celebrations short to host Wolves on Tuesday night, a match in which the rotated Eagles might have been considered the underdogs, but substitute striker Eddie Nketiah belatedly found his shooting boots at Selhurst Park. In just five minutes, the former Arsenal man had scored twice as many goals as in his first 27 Premier League games for the club, as Ben Chilwell’s free-kick and Eberechi Eze’s customary strike secured a 4-2 win.

Crystal Palace currently sit 12th, one point behind Bournemouth and two points clear of Fulham, and will be in the top ten with an upset win at Anfield if other results go their way, with a seven-match unbeaten run in all championships particularly favourable for the visitors.

Furthermore, Crystal Palace are no strangers to spoiling the party at Anfield, as their last four Premier League wins against Liverpool have all come away from home - including this game last season - but the result of Sunday's final will not dampen the morale of either side's fans.

Liverpool predicted starting lineup:

Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Jones; Salah, Soboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz

Crystal Palace predicted starting lineup:

Henderson; Ward, Richards, Lacroix; Munoz, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta