Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten Premier League run to a club-record 18 matches with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Selhurst Park. Eddie Nketiah scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to hand Palace their first home win over the champions since 2014 and halt Liverpool’s flawless start to the season.
Palace started brightly, showing the composure and structure that have defined their resurgence under Oliver Glasner. Ismaïla Sarr struck early, continuing his fine record against Liverpool by finishing from close range after Marc Guéhi and Daichi Kamada combined to unsettle the visitors’ defence. The home side’s intensity rattled Liverpool, with Alisson forced into several superb saves to deny Daniel Muñoz and Jean-Philippe Mateta before the break. Mateta came closest, clipping the post and later blasting narrowly over, as Palace dominated a first half where Alexander Isak barely touched the ball.
Liverpool’s £250m summer recruits, Florian Wirtz and Isak, struggled to influence proceedings. Arne Slot’s side lacked fluency, although substitutions after half-time shifted momentum. Cody Gakpo was introduced, pushing Dominik Szoboszlai into a deeper role where he began to dictate play. Wirtz grew into the game, creating chances for Gakpo and forcing Dean Henderson into sharp stops.
Despite Liverpool’s pressure, Palace’s defensive unit held firm. Guéhi marshalled the backline superbly and nearly scored himself before disaster struck late on. A loose clearance from Chris Richards allowed Federico Chiesa to pounce and smash home the equaliser, keeping Liverpool’s long scoring streak alive.
But just when it seemed the champions had rescued a point, Palace struck again. Deep into stoppage time, a long throw from Muñoz was flicked on by Guéhi and chested down by Nketiah, who volleyed past Alisson to spark wild celebrations. The result not only preserved Palace’s unbeaten start but also underlined their growing reputation as one of the most organised and dangerous sides in the league.
With European fixtures on the horizon, Palace enter a historic new chapter brimming with belief. For Liverpool, the defeat serves as a reality check, highlighting the work still required to blend their expensive new signings into a cohesive unit.
