Eddie Nketiah
Liverpool’s five-match winning streak came to an abrupt end at Selhurst Park, courtesy of a dramatic 97th-minute winner from Eddie Nketiah. Crystal Palace emerged victorious after controlling the early stages of the match, taking the lead through Ismaila Sarr’s corner conversion. Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson, made several crucial saves to keep his team in the game. The Reds seemed to have salvaged a draw when Federico Chiesa scored, following a VAR review that ruled out a Mohamed Salah handball. However, Palace’s persistence paid off in the dying moments as Liverpool failed to clear a long throw, allowing Nketiah to capitalize and seal the win.
Arne Slot said: “We can only blame ourselves for defending the way we did. One of our players ran out because he wanted to play a counter-attack, which was of no use because time was up, so it was only about defending. One player was too offensively minded in that moment, which led to them scoring the winner and us losing the game.”
Slot added: “It was a disappointing first half and disappointing end to the game. They deserved to be two or three up in the first half. The second half was much better from us, we created chances which not many teams do here. It took us a while to score a goal – and when we did, to concede another set-piece goal is just as disappointing as the first half. That is what I always say, for years, and in this league that is probably even more the situation. That was one of our biggest strengths last season. We hardly conceded a set piece. Now against Newcastle we conceded two and today we conceded two so that is something we need to do better. But this league is more and more about set pieces. We had to defend a lot of them as well and the margins are small. One of our players in the last minute runs forward to maybe try to counter attack for a second goal but in that area the ball falls for a Crystal Palace player who scores.”
The match highlighted Liverpool’s recent vulnerability in defending set pieces, an area that was one of their strengths last season. Arne Slot expressed his disappointment with the team’s defensive lapses, particularly in the final moments of the game. Despite creating several chances in the second half, Liverpool’s inability to defend set pieces ultimately cost them the match. The defeat serves as a reminder of the fine margins in the Premier League, where a momentary lapse in concentration can shift the outcome of a game.
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