The day has finally arrived for Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk set to get his hands on the Premier League trophy. First though, the Reds have to face Crystal Palace in the final game of the season.
Having run away with the title, Arne Slot’s side will finally get their reward today, with a party atmosphere guaranteed at Anfield ahead of Monday’s parade. The visitors will be enjoying themselves too, having won a first-ever FA Cup last weekend.
If anything, the game becomes something of an inconvenience, with both sides just waiting to celebrate their superb seasons. Liverpool though will want to end things in style, and there is of course one big decision for Slot to make.
After 20 years with the club, Trent Alexander-Arnold will be bidding farewell to his boyhood team, having already said his goodbyes to his teammates. Unfortunately for him, there can be no room for sentimentality from Slot now.
That means Conor Bradley must start at right-back, and just like at Brighton last week, the best course of action will be for Alexander-Arnold to stay sat on the bench. There is simply no point in Slot souring the atmosphere today by bringing the right-back on.
Elsewhere, for the final game of the season, it should be the players that got Liverpool in this position that get the chance to soak up the adulation.
Conor Bradley with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Conor Bradley should get the nod again at right-back vs Crystal Palace (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Therefore, Alisson Becker of course starts in goal, with Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson joining Bradley in the back four.
Slot will be forced into leaving one of his regulars out, with the Liverpool boss confirming that Alexis Mac Allister will sit out the final game as he’s given some time to recover from what has been a gruelling 12 months for club and country.
Therefore, Curtis Jones is deserving of a place alongside Ryan Gravenberch in midfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai moving back into his No.10 role. Whether he will keep that next season if Florian Wirtz arrives is another matter though.
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Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo feel as though they’re guaranteed picks now on either flank, leaving just the No.9 to decide upon.
It’s probably a choice between two. The writing is on the wall for Darwin Nunez, with a summer exit looking very likely, while it would be a surprise if Federico Chiesa is handed another start.
It’s between Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota then, and the former gets the nod from us, considering he has been the next most influential forward this season, and deserves his run-out. Hopefully it’s not his last.
Liverpool predicted line-up vs Crystal Palace: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz.