Crystal Palace have conceded 21 goals in nine Premier League games this season, the most they have ever shipped at this stage of a top-flight campaign. That is the kind of defensive run that changes how a match is priced, and it is why Liverpool goalscorer bets are coming into focus ahead of Palace Vs Liverpool.
Lewis Jones said the goalscorer market for Liverpool is an interesting place to look for value against a Palace side that has been leaking goals at an alarming rate. He singled out Alexis Mac Allister at 7/2 with Sky Bet to score anytime, even though the midfielder has not scored in the Premier League since February 28 against West Ham.
Mac Allister’s numbers in other competitions explain why the market still has interest in him. He has scored four times in cup competitions this season and has had 12 attempts across his last four matches, which suggests the chances are still arriving even if the league goal has not. That is the split bettors have to weigh: Palace’s collapse makes Liverpool attacking interest easy to see, but the player Jones likes is still carrying a league drought.
Pierre Sage has inherited the defensive problem at Crystal Palace, and the scale of it is now impossible to ignore. Conceding 21 goals in nine league games is not just poor by Palace standards; it is the worst start they have ever made defensively in the top flight, which leaves Liverpool with a clear invitation to test them again.
The wider weekend card also underlines how much the betting conversation is being driven by goals and discipline. Jones pointed to Dara O'Shea at 9/2 with Sky Bet to be booked, while Evanilson has drawn 29 yellow cards from opponents across his Premier League career and is said to win a booking every 200 minutes of action. Brentford were also highlighted as the only side to score in all nine Premier League games this season, with 16 goals in that run and a streak of 11 consecutive league matches scoring across the summer break.
For Palace, the next test is straightforward to describe and difficult to survive. If they do not tighten up quickly, Liverpool will keep finding the same opening that has defined their start to the season, and Mac Allister will remain one of the cleaner ways to play it.
