LONDON-(MaraviPost)-Liverpool’s perfect start to the 2025/26 Premier League season came to a heartbreaking end as Crystal Palace sealed a 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park on Saturday, thanks to Eddie Nketiah’s stoppage time strike.
The result not only handed the reigning champions their first defeat of the campaign but also extended Palace’s unbeaten run to a club-record 18 matches across all competitions.
The win lifts Palace to second place in the table, just three points behind Liverpool.
The hosts(Palace),took the lead as early as the ninth minute when Ryan Gravenberch’s defensive header fell perfectly for Ismaïla Sarr, who smashed the ball home from close range. It was Sarr’s fifth goal in eight matches against Liverpool, continuing his impressive record against the Reds.
Palace looked dangerous on the break and could have doubled their lead through Yeremy Pino and Jean-Philippe Mateta but both were denied by brilliant saves from Liverpool goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, struggled to turn their possession into meaningful chances and went into the halftime break trailing 1-0.
Liverpool technical pannel introduced Cody Gakpo at the restart and the Dutch forward almost made an immediate impact with a curling effort that went narrowly wide of the post. Florian Wirtz also tested the Palace keeper, who awkwardly tipped his volley clear as Liverpool pressed for an equalizer.
Despite Liverpool’s dominance, Palace remained a constant threat on the counterattack. Alexander Isak came close to extending the hosts’ lead but failed to find the target after some quick footwork inside the box.
Liverpool finally found their breakthrough when Federico Chiesa scrambled the ball home from close range to level the score at 1-1. The goal was briefly checked by VAR for a potential handball by Mohamed Salah in the buildup but it was ultimately allowed to stand, much to Liverpool’s relief.
With momentum on their side, Liverpool surged forward in search of a winner. Salah and Darwin Núñez both had opportunities but Palace’s defense held firm, while goalkeeper Sam Johnstone made several crucial interventions.
As the match ticked into stoppage time, it appeared Liverpool would at least escape with a hard-fought point. However, Crystal Palace had one final twist to deliver.
In the seventh minute of added time, Eddie Nketiah pounced inside the box to fire past Alisson, sending Selhurst Park into wild celebrations.
The late goal secured Palace a second successive head-to-head win over Liverpool this season and served as a statement of intent from the Eagles, who are now firmly in the title conversation.