Sarr Double Sinks Slot's Kids: Liverpool 0-3 Palace.

Sarr Double Sinks Slot's Kids: Liverpool 0-3 Palace.

Carabao Cup Fourth Round: Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace.

Anfield, Wednesday 30 October 2025 Attendance: 59,814 By James Pearce, The Athletic.

Preamble: A Night of Recklessness

                    The Carabao Cup has always been the competition where risks are taken, where youth is blooded, where the big clubs gamble on rotation and pray the dice land kindly.

            Arne Slot, in his first season as Liverpool manager, rolled those dice with both hands. He left Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota at home. No senior centre-back on the bench. No recognised striker among the substitutes. Just 17-year-old centre-half Amara Nallo and 18-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni as the only outfield options beyond the starting XI.

It was a statement of intent: We trust the kids. We trust the depth. It was also, in hindsight, a statement of hubris.

Crystal Palace, managed by the relentlessly pragmatic Oliver Glasner, arrived with no such illusions. They named a strong side – Ismaila Sarr, Eberechi Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Tyrick Mitchell – and played like a team that had studied Liverpool’s second string and smelled blood. They pressed high, won duels, and punished mistakes with ruthless efficiency.

By the 88th minute, with Yeremy Pino tapping in a third after Nallo’s red card, Anfield was a mausoleum. The Kop, usually a cauldron even in dead rubbers, sat in stunned silence. Slot stood motionless on the touchline, hands in pockets, staring at the turf as if it might offer an explanation.

This was not just a cup exit. This was a humiliation.
The Teams

Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo (c), Jones, Elliott; Chiesa, Núñez, Gakpo. Subs: Davies (GK), Nallo, Nyoni, Gordon, Beck.

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Chalobah, Andersen, Guéhi; Clyne, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Eze, Sarr; Mateta. Subs: Matthews (GK), Richards, Riad, Hughes, Kamada, Nketiah, Pino.

Referee: Michael Oliver VAR: Stuart Attwell
First Half: Sarr’s Masterclass

The opening 20 minutes were scrappy but even. Liverpool, with Darwin Núñez as the focal point, tried to play through the lines. Curtis Jones buzzed with intent, Harvey Elliott probed, and Federico Chiesa – making his first start since September – flickered on the right. But Palace were compact, aggressive, and first to every second ball.

The warning came in the 28th minute. Sarr, deployed on the right of Palace’s front three, collected a pass from Eze, nutmegged Kostas Tsimikas with a feint, and curled a shot that Caoimhín Kelleher tipped over. Anfield exhaled. Slot clapped. We’re still in this.

Then, in the 41st minute, the dam broke.

Joe Gomez, under no pressure, played a lazy pass across his own box. Jefferson Lerma intercepted, slid Sarr in behind Conor Bradley, and the Senegalese winger did the rest. One touch to control, one touch to shift it onto his left foot, and a low drive across Kelleher into the far corner. 0-1.

The goal was a carbon copy of Sarr’s strike against Liverpool at Selhurst Park in April 2024 – the one that ended Jürgen Klopp’s title hopes. History, repeating itself with a sneer.

Four minutes later, it got worse.

Jarell Quansah, caught flat-footed, allowed Mateta to flick a header into Sarr’s path. The winger took one touch, looked up, and lobbed Kelleher from 25 yards. The ball hung in the air like a taunt before dropping under the bar. 0-2.

Anfield groaned. Slot turned to his bench, where Nallo – a boy who had played 45 minutes of senior football in his life – was the only defensive option. The half-time whistle was a mercy.

Half-Time: Slot’s Silence

In the tunnel, Slot said nothing. His players filed past, heads down. The Dutchman’s face was a mask – no anger, no panic, just a cold, calculating stillness. He had gambled and lost. Now he had to manage the fallout.

Palace, meanwhile, were buoyant. Glasner’s team talk was simple: Keep pressing. They’re rattled. One more and we kill them.

Second Half: Collapse

Liverpool emerged with intent. Núñez forced a save from Dean Henderson within 30 seconds. Chiesa skinned Mitchell and crossed, but Gakpo’s header was weak. For 15 minutes, it looked like a comeback might be on.

Then came the 63rd minute.

Amara Nallo, on for the injured Quansah, misjudged a long ball. Mateta outmuscled him, rounded Kelleher, and was clipped as he shaped to shoot. Michael Oliver pointed to the spot. Penalty.

Eze stepped up. Kelleher guessed right but the ball was too well placed – bottom corner. 0-3? No. Wait. VAR. Offside in the build-up. Mateta had strayed a toe beyond Gomez. The goal was chalked off.

Anfield roared. A lifeline.

But Palace were undeterred. They kept coming. Sarr, now a one-man wrecking crew, drew a foul from Bradley on the edge of the box. Eze’s free-kick clipped the wall and looped just over.

Slot threw on Owen Beck for Tsimikas, shifting to a back three. It backfired. Palace exploited the flanks. In the 78th minute, Sarr should have had a hat-trick, but Kelleher saved one-on-one.

Then, the coup de grâce.
88th Minute: Red Card and Collapse

Nallo, already on a yellow for a lunge on Eze, chased a lost cause as Yeremy Pino – on for Mateta – latched onto a Wharton through-ball. The 17-year-old slid in, caught Pino’s ankle, and Oliver reached for red. Nallo off.

From the free-kick, Palace worked it short. Mitchell overlapped, crossed low, and Pino – unmarked at the back post – tapped in. 0-3.

The goal was greeted with a smattering of applause from the 3,000 travelling Palace fans. The rest of Anfield was silent.

Full Time: Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace

The final whistle blew. Slot applauded the Kop, but few clapped back. Players trudged off. Sarr, named man of the match, milked the applause, blowing kisses to the Palace end.

Player Ratings

Liverpool
Kelleher 6 – Beaten three times, but no chance with any.
Bradley 5 – Overrun by Sarr.
Gomez 4 – The catalyst for the first goal.
Quansah 5 – Struggled before injury.
Tsimikas 5 – Beaten too easily.
Endo 6 – Tidy but overrun.
Jones 7 – Liverpool’s best midfielder.
Elliott 6 – Tried, but lacked end product.
Chiesa 6 – Flashes, but faded.
Núñez 5 – Isolated, wasteful.
Gakpo 5 – Anonymous. Subs: Nallo 3 (red card), Nyoni 5, Beck 5.

Crystal Palace
Henderson 7
Chalobah 8, Andersen 8, Guéhi 8
Clyne 7, Wharton 8, Lerma 9, Mitchell 8
Eze 8, Sarr 10
Mateta 8 Subs: Pino 8, Nketiah 6.
Post-Match Reaction

Arne Slot:

“We were punished for individual mistakes. I take responsibility for the team selection. We have a small squad and a lot of games, but that’s no excuse. Palace were better in both boxes. We learn and we move on.”

Oliver Glasner:

“Ismaïla was unbelievable. He has that quality against the big teams. We came with a plan, we executed it, and we deserved to win. This is a special night for Palace.”

Ismaïla Sarr:

“I love playing against Liverpool. They give me space to run, and I take it. Two goals, an assist – I’ll enjoy this one.”
Analysis: What Went Wrong?
No Senior Spine No Van Dijk, no Alisson, no Salah. The leadership void was stark. Endo captained a team of kids and fringe players. Palace smelled weakness.
Defensive Frailty Gomez and Quansah were both caught ball-watching for the first two goals. Nallo’s inexperience was cruelly exposed.
Lack of Bench When Quansah went off, Slot had no senior centre-back to turn to. Nallo lasted 25 minutes before the red card.
Sarr’s Revenge The winger has now scored four goals against Liverpool in 18 months. His pace and directness were unanswerable.
Núñez Isolated Without service, the Uruguayan cut a frustrated figure. His hold-up play was poor, his finishing wayward.

What’s Next?

Liverpool:
Premier League: Brighton (H), Saturday 2 November, 3pm
Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen (H), Tuesday 5 November, 8pm

Slot must now pick up the pieces. Van Dijk, Salah and co. return, but the damage to confidence – and to the manager’s aura of invincibility – is real.

Crystal Palace:
Premier League: Wolves (A), Saturday 2 November, 5.30pm
Quarter-final draw: Thursday 31 October, 7pm

A first quarter-final since 2016. Glasner’s project is gathering momentum.
Final Word

This was not just a cup exit. It was a reality check. Arne Slot’s Liverpool are still a work in progress – and tonight, the progress stalled spectacularly.

For Palace, it was a night of vindication. For Sarr, it was a night of redemption. For Anfield, it was a night to forget.

Man of the Match: Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace) Attendance: 59,814 Next Round: Crystal Palace await Thursday’s draw.