Eddie Nketiah scored a dramatic winner in the 97th minute to hand Liverpool a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace, marking the Reds’ first Premier League loss of the season.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot expressed frustration after the match, admitting that the late goal could have been avoided and hinting that a single player’s decision was responsible for the costly lapse.
Palace struck early through Ismaila Sarr in the ninth minute, fully deserving their lead after dominating the opening half. Liverpool looked flat and struggled to create clear chances before improving after the break. Federico Chiesa came off the bench to equalize in the 87th minute, seemingly rescuing a point for the visitors.
However, Liverpool failed to see the game out. They were caught out from a long throw-in, leaving Nketiah unmarked at the back post to score the decisive goal.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Slot explained:
> “We had plenty of attacking players on the pitch at that point, but not much really happened in stoppage time. The added time was fair — they made a substitution, so an extra 30 seconds was expected. I’m not sure of the exact moment they scored, but I assume it was around 96 minutes and 30 seconds.
> “Ultimately, it’s on us. One of our players pushed forward, looking to launch a counter-attack when there was no time left for that. All that mattered was defending. Maybe we were too attack-minded — or rather, one player was too attack-minded — and that mistake led to their winner.”
Both of Palace’s goals came from set-pieces, continuing a concerning trend for Liverpool, who also conceded twice from dead-ball situations in their 3-2 win over Newcastle earlier in the season.
Slot, however, played down concerns about defending set-pieces, acknowledging Palace’s overall superiority, particularly in the first half when Alisson Becker was forced into multiple saves.
> “At Newcastle, they only had two chances, both from set-pieces,” Slot said. “Today was different — Palace created chances not just from set-pieces but also from open play and counter-attacks.
> “Alisson kept us in the game with some great saves. Palace are dangerous in several ways — set-pieces, balls in behind, and transitions. In the first half, they fully deserved their lead. We improved after halftime, but if any team deserved the win today, it was Palace.”
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