Palace pile more pain on Reds in the rain

Second-string Liverpool were thumped 3-0 by Crystal Palace as Ismaila Sarr struck twice for the visitors in the League Cup on Wednesday, booking the London side's spot in the quarterfinals and piling more misery on Arne Slot's struggling side.

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Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr scores their second goal against Liverpool at Anfield.

(REUTERS)

Holders Newcastle United dispatched Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, Arsenal beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0, Manchester City came back to down Swansea City 3-1 and Chelsea edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 in other fourth-round ties.

Slot rested most of his regular starters — as did the other major Premier League clubs — leaving Liverpool to suffer their sixth loss in seven games across all competitions.

The match at Anfield was fairly even before Sarr scored in the 41st minute when Liverpool defender Joe Gomez attempted to clear the ball but teed it up instead for the Senegalese player, who unleashed a blistering shot past keeper Freddie Woodman.

In a torrential downpour that matched the Reds fans’ mood, Sarr doubled Palace’s lead seconds before the break when he latched onto a lovely reverse pass from Yeremy Pino.