Steven Gerrard Liverpool
Steven Gerrard will step onto the Anfield pitch for the final time as a Liverpool playerReuters

Liverpool might have very little to play for with their dreams of qualifying for the Champions League next season gone with the wind. But in many ways, this English Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Saturday will be the most emotional match of the season.

That is because it will be the final home game of one of the club's greatest servants – Steven Gerrard. The midfielder will move to the US to play for LA Galaxy in the MLS after this season, and with Liverpool's final game of the Premier League campaign away to Stoke City, this will be the final chance for the Anfield faithful to say their goodbyes to one of their all-time greats.

Liverpool and Gerrard have been inseparable in the Premier League era, and it will be weird to see a Liverpool side without Stevie-G, as he is fondly known, in the lineup next season.

"I've been dreading it for a long time, certainly since I made the announcement back in January," Gerrard told Premier League TV. "I didn't want this moment to come really.

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"I love playing in front of my own people. I love this stadium. I've had some incredible moments here. I've had some lows as well but it will be tough to finally say goodbye at the weekend. I'll certainly miss playing here."

Undoubtedly, every single fan at Anfield will also miss seeing Gerrard, and, in a way, it should help the Liverpool skipper that this game against Crystal Palace is as good as a dead rubber. Liverpool are six points behind Manchester United with two games to go and a near-impossible goal difference to make-up.

The fact that there is very little pressure heading into this game, should allow Gerrard and the rest of the Liverpool players to express themselves freely and that, hopefully, should give us a cracker of a contest, especially since Crystal Palace also have little to play for.

"The attitude in training of all the players, and Steven in particular, has been first class," Rodgers said when asked about how difficult it would be for the players on such an emotional day. "His standards are such -- and why he's such a joy to work with -- that no matter what the occasion, no matter what the focus is, he is very much concentrated on training hard every day and sets the lead for the rest of the players.

"He's at the front of the training group every single day from the warm-up. He gives his maximum and does his best in every single session, and that drip-feeds through to the other players. In terms of trying to control emotion, it's been fairly simple."

It is highly unlikely that those emotions will be that "simple" when reality hits and Gerrard, his teammates and the Liverpool fans realise this is his final game at home. How the players control that particular aspect will play a big part.

It is never easy to be the opposition in such a game, when you are almost an afterthought, with the spotlight firmly on one man. Crystal Palace will obviously look to play spoilsport in Gerrard's final home game, but knowing the great man, expect him to pop up just outside the box in the 91st minute, with the match locked up at 3-3 (hey, let's have an entertaining game!), and unleash a thunderbolt which goes past the despairing dive of Julian Speroni.

Now, wouldn't that be the perfect script.

Where to Watch Live

Steven Gerrard's farewell home game is scheduled for a 5.30 pm BST (10 pm IST, 12.30 pm ET) start. Star Sports4 and Star Sports HD4 will show Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Live on TV. The Online live streaming option is on Starsports online.

US viewers can catch the match live on NBC Sports, with the live stream option on NBC Sports LiveExtra. Viewers in Canada can catch Gerrard Live at Anfield for the final time on Sportsnet, while the action can also be live streamed on Watch Sportsnet.

Sky Sports1 is the TV channel to be for audience in the UK and Ireland, with the live streaming option on Watch Sky Sports and Sky Go. Viewers in Australia can catch Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Live on Fox Sports, Foxtel or Fox Sports EPL On Demand.