Crystal Palace’s history features wild scorelines at both ends of the pitch, from record wins and heavy defeats to chaotic cup ties and astonishing comebacks. These high-scoring games have become part of Selhurst Park folklore and define the club’s reputation for drama.
Biggest Winning and Losing Margins
Palace’s official record league win is a 9-0 thrashing of Barrow in the Fourth Division on 10 October 1959, still the biggest victory in the club’s history. At the other extreme, the heaviest defeat is the infamous 9-0 loss away to Liverpool at Anfield on 12 September 1989 in the old First Division, a humiliation avenged in spectacular fashion later that season.
Goal-Fests and Record Draws
The highest-scoring draw in Crystal Palace history is a 5-5 thriller against Plymouth Argyle at Selhurst Park in Division Three (South) on 28 November 1925. Palace trailed 4-2 at half-time on a snow-covered pitch before roaring back to lead 5-4, only to concede a last-minute equaliser in a game still recognised in club records as their most prolific stalemate.
Club historians also note multiple 4-4 draws and a series of 5-4 wins and 4-5 defeats, underlining just how often Palace have been involved in goal-laden contests.
Famous High-Scoring Cup Ties
One of Palace’s most celebrated games is the 4-3 FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool at Villa Park on 8 April 1990, widely described as one of the greatest semi-finals in the competition’s history. Coming into the match on the back of that 9-0 league mauling, Palace fell behind early but turned the game into a see-saw classic, eventually winning 4-3 after extra time to reach their first FA Cup final.
More recently, a 4-2 League Cup comeback victory away to Plymouth Argyle in August 2023 saw Palace overturn a 2-0 deficit with a Jean‑Philippe Mateta hat-trick, continuing the high-scoring theme against the Devon side.
Highest Scoring Crystal Palace Matches Table
| Type | Opponent | Score | Competition / Year | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biggest win | Barrow | 9-0 | Division Four, 1959 | Club’s record league victory | Records & achievements |
| Heaviest defeat | Liverpool | 0-9 | First Division, 1989 | Anfield hammering later “avenged” in FA Cup semi-final | Club records |
| Highest-scoring draw | Plymouth Argyle | 5-5 | Division Three (South), 1925 | Palace came from 2-4 down on a snow-covered pitch | On this day feature |
| Famous cup goal-fest | Liverpool | 4-3 (AET) | FA Cup semi-final, 1990 | Iconic Villa Park comeback to reach first FA Cup final | Match report |
| High-scoring comeback win | Plymouth Argyle | 4-2 | League Cup, 2023 | From 0-2 down, Mateta hat-trick seals turnaround | Same Argyle feature |
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