Liverpool may have received some terrible news ahead of their clash with Crystal Palace

Liverpool have started this Premier League season in a way that even the most optimistic supporter could not have imagined. Five games played, five victories, fifteen points on the board, and confidence flowing through the squad like a raging river. Arne Slot, the man who stepped into the giant shoes left behind by Jürgen Klopp, has overseen a smooth start to life at Anfield. The atmosphere around Liverpool is electric, the city is buzzing with hope, and the fans are beginning to whisper that something special might be building again. But just as everything looked perfect, just as the Reds prepared to test themselves against the only other unbeaten team in the league, news broke that could shake Liverpool’s comfort and bring back old nightmares. The news was simple but frightening: Ismaila Sarr is back.

For many footballers, facing Liverpool is a challenge, but for Sarr, it is something else entirely. The Senegalese forward has always seemed to find his best form against the men in red. It does not matter which shirt he wears, whether Watford yellow or Crystal Palace blue and red, whenever Liverpool are the opponents, Sarr transforms into a destroyer. Liverpool fans know this story too well. They still remember that cold night in February 2020 when their dreams of an unbeaten season were shattered at Vicarage Road. Watford humbled Klopp’s mighty Reds 3-0, and at the center of the storm was Sarr. Two goals in six brutal minutes, one assist, and an entire Liverpool backline left in tatters. That was the night he wrote his name in Premier League folklore, and for Liverpool supporters, it was the night his name became a curse.

Fast forward to 2025, and Liverpool are preparing to face Crystal Palace in what has suddenly become one of the most anticipated fixtures of the early season. Both clubs are unbeaten. Both have managers who believe in attacking football. Both have supporters dreaming of breaking the Premier League’s usual dominance by Manchester City. And both have weapons capable of deciding matches in a single flash. For Palace, that weapon is Ismaila Sarr.

Until recently, Liverpool fans thought they might have escaped him this time. Sarr had been carrying an injury and even missed the Community Shield. That absence gave Liverpool supporters a sigh of relief. But Palace manager Oliver Glasner delivered the news no one at Anfield wanted to hear: Sarr is back, fit, and ready. “He had the full training week,” Glasner confirmed. “I don’t know if he can play ninety minutes, but he is ready.” Those words spread across Liverpool social media like wildfire. Supporters who had been dreaming of extending their winning run suddenly remembered the one man who has made a habit of ruining their joy.

What makes Sarr so dangerous is not just his speed, though his pace terrifies defenders. It is not just his finishing, though he has shown he can punish Liverpool with cold precision. What makes him truly dangerous is his mindset when he faces Liverpool. Against other teams, he is a tricky winger, a player capable of moments of brilliance but not always consistent. Against Liverpool, he becomes a predator. Transfermarkt statistics confirm it: in seven games against Liverpool, Sarr has scored four goals and provided two assists. For one player to cause that much damage against one of Europe’s strongest clubs says everything.

Liverpool’s current situation makes it even more concerning. On the left side of their defense, Milos Kerkez is still learning the Premier League. The young Hungarian is talented, fearless, and full of energy, but he can also be rash. He flies into tackles, gets caught out of position, and sometimes allows his emotions to lead him into mistakes. Now imagine him going up against Sarr, a winger who thrives on exploiting space and forcing defenders into poor decisions. It is a recipe for chaos.

The tension grows when you consider the history of Liverpool’s battles with Palace. Selhurst Park has often been a tricky ground for the Reds. Memories of the infamous “Crystanbul” in 2014, when Liverpool’s title dreams crumbled with a 3-3 draw, still haunt the supporters. Palace have always been a team capable of upsetting the giants, and under Glasner, they have become even more organized and fearless. With Sarr now back in their ranks, they carry a weapon that Liverpool know all too well.

For Arne Slot, this presents one of his first true tests as Liverpool manager. He has enjoyed a dream start, but this is the kind of game that could define how quickly the fanbase believes he can carry the torch of Klopp. Win, and the momentum becomes unstoppable. Lose, and old doubts will resurface. The presence of Sarr adds layers of danger to this challenge. Slot must decide how to contain him. Does he instruct Kerkez to hold back? Does he ask a midfielder like Alexis Mac Allister to drop deeper and provide cover? Or does he trust his players to stand up to the threat and hope their attack outshines any damage Sarr can cause

Liverpool’s defenders will know the statistics. They will have seen the clips of Sarr running in behind Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. They will have studied how he times his runs, how he thrives when Liverpool push high up the pitch. And yet, knowing it and stopping it are two different things. Sarr plays with no fear against Liverpool. He thrives on their high line, he loves the open spaces they leave, and he relishes the chance to silence Anfield or shock them in their own home.

The psychological battle is also fascinating. For Liverpool fans, hearing that Sarr is fit will bring nerves. For Palace fans, it brings hope. They will travel to Anfield believing their man can deliver once again, that history can repeat itself, and that the unbeaten run of Liverpool can end the same way it did in 2020—with Sarr at the heart of it.

This is why football is beautiful. A clash of two unbeaten teams, a storyline written years ago coming back to life, and a player who seems destined to torment a club every time he sees their shirt. Will Sarr rise again? Will Liverpool finally silence him? Or will Saturday be remembered as another chapter in his story of haunting the Reds?

What makes the drama even richer is the fact that Liverpool’s attack is firing on all cylinders. Darwin Núñez looks sharper, Mohamed Salah continues to be the king of Anfield, and new signing Alexander Isak has settled quickly, scoring goals and winning hearts. On paper, Liverpool have enough firepower to beat anyone. But football is not played on paper, and Sarr has proven more than once that he can bend the script.

As kick-off approaches, the whispers grow louder. Liverpool may have won every game so far, but their biggest test could come not from Manchester City, not from Arsenal, but from a Crystal Palace side led by a man who has been their nightmare for half a decade. One player can change everything, and Ismaila Sarr has already shown he can be that player.

If Liverpool are to continue their perfect start, they will need discipline, focus, and perhaps even a little bit of luck. If Palace are to shock the world again, Sarr will almost certainly be at the center of it. Saturday will reveal whether the nightmare continues or if Liverpool can finally wake up from it.

For now, one thing is certain: Liverpool’s clash with Crystal Palace is no longer just about two unbeaten teams. It is about history, fear, revenge, and one man whose name alone is enough to make Anfield nervous—Ismaila Sarr.