• Crystal Palace knocks Liverpool out of the League Cup with a 3-0 win

• Liverpool suffers another setback this season amid a string of defeats and ongoing challenges

Liverpool suffered a heavy blow after losing 3-0 to Crystal Palace at King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, in the fourth round of the 2025 English League Cup.

The goals for the visitors were scored by Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr (a brace in the 41st and 45th minutes) and Jérémie Pino (88th minute), allowing the London side to advance to the next round and eliminate the Reds from the competition early.

A series of defeats and ongoing challenges for Liverpool

Crystal Palace has become a tough opponent for Liverpool this season, having beaten the Dutch coach Arne Slot’s team in three different matches:

• Losing the Community Shield on penalties 5-4 in August.

• Defeat 2-1 in the Premier League against Palace in September.

• Today’s 3-0 loss in the League Cup.

Liverpool has also suffered four consecutive league defeats since the end of September, the most recent being a 3-2 loss to Brentford.

Resting stars and fielding substitutes

Coach Slot chose to rest most of his key players, giving chances to substitutes and young talents. The starting lineup included Woodman, Ramsey, Gomez, Robertson, Kyrkiz, Endo, Toney, McAlister, Morrison, N’Gomuha, and Keïza.

Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner fielded a strong lineup for Palace, featuring Benítez, Kanfut, Lacroix, Jouhi, Muñoz, Hughes, Kamada, Sousa, Pino, Sarr, and Nketiah.

Match details and key moments

Sarr shone as the star of the match, scoring twice before halftime, while Pino added the third goal in the 88th minute.

The match also saw red cards and young player substitutions to adjust team strategies, but Liverpool struggled to keep pace with Palace’s organized defensive and attacking play.

Liverpool’s challenges for the new season

Despite major summer signings like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, Liverpool has not delivered the expected performance, particularly with the absence of Luis Díaz and the lack of cohesion among the new arrivals. This puts coach Slot under significant pressure to correct the team’s course ahead of upcoming matches.