In a night that will haunt Anfield for months, Liverpool’s once-unassailable fortress crumbled under a torrent of rain and ruthless finishing as Crystal Palace delivered a stunning 3-0 demolition in the Carabao Cup fourth round. The Eagles soared into the quarter-finals, setting up a mouthwatering clash with Arsenal at the Emirates, while the Reds were left licking their wounds in yet another chapter of a dismal slump—marking their **sixth defeat in just seven games**.
The drama unfolded on a sodden Wednesday evening at Anfield, where driving rain turned the pitch into a slippery battlefield. Crystal Palace struck twice in the first half through the electric **Ismaila Sarr**, whose blistering brace exposed Liverpool’s makeshift defense. Yeremy Pino sealed the rout with a late dagger, rubbing salt into the wounds of a home crowd that trudged out in stunned silence. For Palace, it was poetic justice—a third straight victory over the Premier League giants this season, proving Oliver Glasner’s men are no longer the pushovers of old.
At the heart of the controversy was Liverpool boss **Arne Slot**’s bold gamble: a **wholesale rotation** that saw **ten changes** from the side humbled 3-2 by Brentford days earlier. Only **Milos Kerkez** retained his spot, with **three teenagers—Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, and Kieran Morrison—thrust into the starting lineup**. Summer signing **Freddie Woodman** made his debut in goal, while talismans like **Virgil van Dijk** and **Mohamed Salah** watched from the stands, offering moral support but no salvation. Slot later defended his youth-heavy approach with conviction: **”I saw Man City’s XI and they didn’t have one starter from the weekend but it felt like their best XI. That is a bit of an insight. Chelsea can bring Estevao in.”** He doubled down, insisting, **”After I made two substitutions tonight, we had six teenagers,”** and that the club **”always”** uses the Carabao Cup to blood academy prospects. **”This felt the right decision”** regardless of the scoreboard, he added defiantly.
Not everyone agreed. Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool midfielder **Jamie Redknapp** didn’t mince words: Slot had picked **”the wrong team.”** And as the post-match recriminations swirled, one voice cut through the noise louder than most—a cheeky dartboard assassin from across the Pennines.
Enter **Luke Littler**, the 18-year-old darts prodigy and self-confessed **Manchester United diehard**, whose meteoric rise has made him Britain’s sporting sweetheart. Fresh off dominating the oche, “The Nuke” couldn’t resist piling on Liverpool’s misery with a **hilarious social media troll** that has racked up thousands of likes and shares. Reposting a classic clip from the cult sitcom *The Inbetweeners*, where hapless Simon confronts mate Jay with **”Why did you do that?”** only for Jay to smirk back, **”Funny,”** Littler captioned it perfectly: **”Arne Slot after starting Liverpool’s U16 squad against Crystal Palace’s first team.”**
The jab landed like a 180—**savage, spot-on, and utterly merciless**. Liverpool fans squirmed, while rival supporters, especially from Old Trafford, erupted in glee. It’s far from Littler’s first rodeo poking the Scousers. Back in 2024, after Liverpool’s Europa League flop against Atalanta, he quipped on Instagram: **”I’m top of the league unlike Liverpool.”** When PSG booted them from the Champions League, he cheekily declared: **”They not out.. they are out out UP THE LES PARISIENS.”** And who could forget his giddy celebration after United’s 2-1 Anfield triumph earlier this month? A graphic screaming **”Yanited, Yanited, Yanited”** with **”Where’s the scousers at back under your rock you go / Cause we are Man United and we are never going to stop.”**
Littler’s antics highlight a perfect storm: a resurgent Palace thriving under Glasner, Liverpool’s rotation roulette backfiring spectacularly, and a generational talent who’s as lethal with banter as he is with arrows. As Slot plots his next move amid mounting pressure—whispers of Jürgen Klopp’s shadow looming large—the Dutchman knows one thing for sure: in the cutthroat world of Premier League rivalry, even darts kids can draw blood.
For Crystal Palace, it’s quarter-final dreams and a statement etched in Anfield lore. For Liverpool? A harsh reality check. And for Luke Littler? Just another bullseye in his ever-growing collection of trolls. Funny, indeed.
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