Final Thoughts as Crystal Palace Hand Liverpool First Defeat of the Season | OneFootball

Crystal Palace 2 – 1 Liverpool – Premier League Postmortem

With Liverpool looking to maintain their perfect start to the season, Arne Slot’s side travelled to Selhurst Park full of belief. Seven consecutive wins had put the reigning champions top of the Premier League, but they were undone late by a resilient Crystal Palace outfit. Goals from Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah, either side of a Federico Chiesa equaliser, sealed a dramatic contest in south London and handed Liverpool their first defeat of the campaign.

The Starting Eleven

Liverpool XI

• GK – Alisson Becker

• RB – Conor Bradley

• CB – Ibrahima Konaté

• CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

• LB – Milos Kerkez

• CM – Alexis Mac Allister

• CM – Ryan Gravenberch

• ACM – Dominik Szoboszlai

• RW – Mohamed Salah

• CF – Alexander Isak

• LW – Florian Wirtz

Substitutes

• Cody Gakpo ↔ Conor Bradley (45’)

• Curtis Jones ↔ Alexis Mac Allister (61’)

• Federico Chiesa ↔ Florian Wirtz (74’)

• Jeremie Frimpong ↔ Ibrahima Konaté (74’)

• Rio Ngumoah ↔ Alexander Isak (84’)

Goals (Assisted by):

• Crystal Palace 1-0 Liverpool – Ismaila Sarr – 9’

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Liverpool – Federico Chiesa – 87’

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool – Eddie Nketiah – 90+7’

Match Statistics

• Possession – Palace 28% | Liverpool 72%

• XG – Palace 2.45 | Liverpool 2.25

• Total Shots – Palace 16 | Liverpool 20

• Fouls – Palace 10 | Liverpool 8

• Corners – Palace 2 | Liverpool 6

• Saves – Palace 3 | Liverpool 5

First Half

An expectant Selhurst Park crowd did their part, roaring the hosts through the opening exchanges. Their energy spilled onto the pitch, where Palace unsettled Liverpool’s backline. In the ninth minute, a corner routine caused chaos in the box. Ryan Gravenberch’s attempted defensive header only half-cleared the danger, and Ismaila Sarr pounced to smash home from close range.

Liverpool tried to settle, but their play lacked tempo. Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah saw plenty of the ball out wide, yet Alexander Isak remained isolated up front. The best chances fell to Palace on the break, with Alisson forced into two excellent saves to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta and Munoz. The Reds dominated possession, but without incision, they went into half-time trailing.

Second Half

As the game developed, Liverpool began to press harder against a low block designed to shut down a glittering attack. Gravenberch rattled the post with a fierce strike after Salah’s free-kick was blocked, signalling growing momentum. Slot turned to his bench, bringing on Gakpo, Chiesa and Frimpong to add width and pace.

The breakthrough finally arrived at 87 minutes. Chiesa, sharp and direct, picked up a loose ball from the left and unleashed a powerful strike beyond Johnstone to level the game. It felt like Liverpool had rescued themselves.

But football is rarely scripted, especially in the Premier League. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Palace broke forward one final time. A long throw wasn’t cleared, and Eddie Nketiah finished with composure to seal a dramatic win for the home side.

Final Thoughts

Liverpool’s title defence ambitions will not crumble based on one defeat, but this was a reminder of how small margins can punish even dominant teams. Alisson’s brilliance kept the Reds alive, and Chiesa’s impact off the bench underlined his importance. Yet familiar issues of wasted chances and lapses in concentration proved costly.

For Arne Slot, this setback will be a significant blow, but the bigger picture remains intact. Liverpool remains a top contender, though this result serves as a warning that efficiency in both boxes is what truly defines champions.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction: Crystal Palace 1 – 2 Liverpool

Full-Time Result: Crystal Palace 2 – 1 Liverpool