Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool: Andoni Iraola could match Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho in Premier League fixture

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola could match a terrific Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho record in Sunday's Premier League battle with Crystal Palace.

The Reds head to Selhurst Park looking to avoid a third straight defeat in all tournaments, having gone down to Arsenal and Fenerbahce already this month.

Iraola oversaw five straight victories before his two recent setbacks, and he has been warned that he faces unwanted Arne Slot comparisons if he fails to lead Liverpool to victory in the capital.

However, the former Bournemouth boss has overseen an extraordinary run of away matches both with the Cherries and the Reds, who are still unbeaten on the road in the 2026-27 Premier League.

Liverpool have won three and drawn one of their four top-flight away games, while Iraola is incredibly unbeaten in Premier League away matches throughout the entirety of 2026.

Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool: Andoni Iraola aiming to preserve extraordinary away run

The Spaniard has not lost a top-flight contest on the road since December 2025, when his Bournemouth side were slain by Brentford, and he has since gone 13 without defeat on rival territory.

Should Liverpool take at least a point home from Selhurst Park, Iraola would equal the away unbeaten runs of Alex Ferguson (14 in 1999), Jose Mourinho (14 in 2005) in Premier League road matches in a single calendar year.

However, Iraola would not match the outright record for consecutive Premier League away games without defeat in one calendar year, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United avoided losing in 15 successive top-flight road matches in 2021.

After opening the campaign with a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United, Liverpool have won their last three Premier League matches outside Anfield, overcoming Ipswich Town, Bournemouth and nine-man Brentford.

It has been over two years since Liverpool won more Premier League away games in a row, as Slot's 2024-25 team prevailed in each of their first four, the fourth of which came at none other than Palace.

Liverpool could also suffer unwanted club first vs. Crystal Palace

© Imago / Sportimage

While Iraola could match Ferguson and Mourinho with a desired outcome, defeat would see Liverpool suffer an unwanted club first in the Premier League era.

The then-reigning champions were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace in September 2025, when Eddie Nketiah struck a 97th-minute winner after earlier strikes from Ismaila Sarr and Federico Chiesa.

Defeat on Sunday would therefore see Liverpool lose back-to-back games away to Crystal Palace for the first time in the Premier League, having not suffered that fate since the First Division days of 1992.

The Reds start the day sixth in the Premier League table, one point below Everton and Chelsea, whom they can overtake with a win if the Blues fail to beat rock-bottom Sunderland.