Liverpool’s stumble gives Arsenal and Man City space to mount serious title challenge | OneFootball

Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the 2025/26 Premier League season sparked talk of them sweeping effortlessly to their second consecutive English top-flight title.

However, the 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday brutally exposed their flaws. The only surprise about the result was the narrow margin of victory.

The Eagles should have been out of sight long before Federico Chiesa’s 87th-minute equaliser. Thankfully, Palace substitute Eddie Nketiah ensured justice was done with a superb late winner.

Palace captain Marc Guehi was a rock at the back, and his performance made Liverpool counterparts Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate look distinctly second-rate.

However, the star of the show was midfielder Adam Wharton, who ran the game. If England manager Thomas Tuchel thinks Jordan Henderson is a better option, he should be sacked.

Aside from striker Hug Ekitike, Liverpool’s heavy investment in new players during the summer transfer window is yet to pay dividends.

Florian Wirtz was anonymous again, while striker Alexander Isak is well short of match fitness. While they may eventually justify their fees, time is not on Liverpool’s side.

The Reds were fortunate to head into this game with an unblemished record after snatching several late victories during the early part of the season.

Liverpool’s luck ran out at Selhurst Park as Palace took advantage of their defensive deficiencies. The result should have their title rivals rubbing their hands with glee.

Their upcoming fixture list is packed with potential banana skins, including a daunting trip to Manchester City on November 9.

Although Pep Guardiola’s side failed to produce their best form during the early part of the season, they have started to show signs of life since the international break.

They wiped the floor with newly-promoted Burnley on Saturday, and will fancy their chances of narrowing the gap on Liverpool before their meeting at the Etihad Stadium.

Successive defeats in August against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion already seem like a distant memory for Man City.

Guardiola has assembled a new-look team, spearheaded by star striker Erling Braut Haaland, which is expected to improve significantly as the season progresses.

While Liverpool will be content with their five-point advantage over City at this early stage of the campaign, that could soon disappear over the next few weeks.

The Reds will also be looking nervously over their shoulders at Arsenal, who demonstrated their title credentials with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Newcastle United on Sunday.

The Magpies rattled the Gunners in the first half, but manager Eddie Howe’s lack of ambition ultimately handed the initiative to their opponents.

Arsenal trailed 1-0 at the break, but late goals by Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes secured a deserved victory at St James’ Park.

Manager Mikel Arteta spoke about his team reaching a ‘different level’ with the victory, and it was hard not to be impressed with the way his team overcame adversity.

Newcastle had won each of their previous three home games against Arsenal in all competitions and seemed to be on course to upset the odds again.

However, Howe’s overly cautious nature sucked the life out of their momentum, allowing Arsenal back into the game at a crucial juncture.

With a home game against West Ham United next on the agenda, Arsenal could be top of the table by the time Liverpool kick off their early evening fixture at Chelsea next weekend.

While nothing is ever decided after just six games, the latest round of results may prove to be noteworthy in the context of this season’s title race.