Whilst being regular league opponents of course, Crystal Palace and Liverpool also have a long and storied history in cup and knockout competitions – a narrative often defined by the Eagles' ability to defy the odds, and pull off a memorable upset or two...
Sunday marks the beginning of a new season, and for Crystal Palace, it starts with a familiar foe – albeit in a new competition.
The Eagles will face Liverpool in the FA Community Shield, adding a fresh chapter to a rivalry defined by dramatic cup encounters and famous upsets.
Let's take a tour through the history books...
8th April, 1990, is a date etched into the minds of every Crystal Palace supporter – a day of pure drama at Villa Park, and all just months after Liverpool had beaten Palace 9-0 in the league.
The odds were stacked against Steve Coppell’s side for the FA Cup semi-final encounter, especially with their promising young forward, Ian Wright, out of the line-up.
But in a game that had it all, Palace produced one of the greatest upsets in the competition's history.
After Ian Rush put Liverpool ahead, Mark Bright and Gary O'Reilly both scored to give Palace a shock lead.
Liverpool fought back, with goals from Steve McMahon and John Barnes, but Andy Gray's late equaliser took the game into extra-time.
Deep into extra-time, future Eagles boss Alan Pardew scored the winner, sparking pandemonium in the stands and sending Palace to their first-ever FA Cup final.
Just two years after the famous FA Cup semi-final victory, Palace – in a season where they ultimately went on to suffer the narrowest of relegations – still managed to eliminate Liverpool out of a cup competition, this time in the League Cup.
After a 1-1 draw at Anfield in the fourth-round, a replay was needed at Selhurst Park.
Grant Watts opened the scoring for Palace with a header from a corner, but a penalty from Mike Marsh restored parity for Liverpool – just as it did in the initial game.
The tie was forced into extra-time, where Andy Thorn scored a 101st-minute winner, securing a 2-1 victory for the Eagles and with it a place in the quarter-finals.
Palace would go on to beat Chelsea in the next round, before their cup run was ended by Arsenal in the semi-finals.
The 2002/03 FA Cup delivered another classic, with second-tier Palace facing a star-studded Liverpool side, boasting talents including Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen.
Drawn at home initially, Palace’s supporters produced a fine atmosphere to welcome the Reds to Selhurst, pre-match fireworks setting the scene for a fizzing Cup tie.
Despite Liverpool’s greater riches – and a starting XI which included the likes of Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia, Danny Murphy, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen – Palace had come closest to winning it late on when Emile Heskey intervened to divert Tony Popovic’s late header over the crossbar.
Few chances had preceded that moment, and so the game went to a replay at Anfield that few of a Palace persuasion will ever forget.
The Eagles, once again, defied the odds. Julian Gray put Palace ahead in the 55th minute with a stunning effort, before Liverpool defender Stéphane Henchoz scored an own-goal to give Palace a 2-0 lead on Merseyside.
Despite Dougie Freedman's red card in the 70th minute, Palace's defence held firm, securing a historic 2-0 victory at one of football’s most iconic grounds.
Palace's knack for upsetting Liverpool in Cup competitions continued in 2005, where in a League Cup third-round match at Selhurst Park, they defeated Rafael Benitez's Liverpool.
Only a few months earlier, the Reds had won the Champions League in spectacular fashion against AC Milan, whereas Palace had been relegated to the Football League Championship.
Freedman put the Eagles ahead in the first half, before Steven Gerrard made it 1-1 just three minutes later.
Palace striker Marco Reich would then grab the winner in the second-half, proving that recent results count for little when it comes to the drama of a cup tie – although the Eagles themselves were then defeated by Middlesbrough in round four.
While Palace have had plenty of memorable moments in knockout meetings between the two teams, Liverpool have also had their fair share of victories too.
When Palace got to the League Cup semi-final in 1995, it was Liverpool that stopped the Eagles from getting to the final. Goals from Robbie Fowler in each leg ended Palace’s dreams of a trip to Wembley, before the Reds triumphed in the capital with a 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers.
History would repeat itself six years later, when Liverpool were drawn against Palace in another League Cup semi-final.
Palace went into the second-leg 2-1 up from the match in South London, thanks to goals from Andrejs Rubins and Clinton Morrison.
But the trip to Anfield proved too much for Alan Smith’s side, as Gérard Houllier’s team scored five times to secure their place at Wembley. There, they would go on to win the League Cup after beating Birmingham City on penalties, their first trophy since winning the competition in 1995.
The upcoming FA Community Shield match adds a new chapter to this rich history, with both teams eager to start the new season with a win – and earn another piece of silverware.
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
