The Premier League witnessed a dramatic Saturday as Crystal Palace stunned Liverpool with a late winner, while Chelsea suffered a home defeat against Brighton.
At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace defeated Liverpool 2-1, ending the Reds' unbeaten start to the Premier League season. Ismaïla Sarr opened the scoring for Palace early in the game. Liverpool's Federico Chiesa equalized late on, but Eddie Nketiah struck in stoppage time to secure a memorable victory for the Eagles. Crystal Palace is now the only unbeaten team in the Premier League. They are also preparing for their first European tour, facing Dinamo Kyiv in the Conference League. After intercepting a loose pass, Palace won a corner that led to Sarr's opening goal. Kamada's inswinger was headed by Ryan Gravenberch, falling to Sarr who scored. Nketiah's late goal was assisted by Guehi.
Liverpool's manager, Arne Slot, acknowledged his team's struggles, particularly the difficulty new signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak had in making an impact. He made a change at half-time, bringing on Cody Gakpo for Conor Bradley and shifting Szoboszlai to right-back. Wirtz moved into midfield and created a chance for Gakpo. Slot felt compelled to start Wirtz and Isak, especially after Ekitike's red card.
The Premier League Match Centre clarified that VAR checked Liverpool's equalizing goal and found no conclusive evidence of a handball by Mohamed Salah in the buildup. Nketiah expressed his joy at the win, highlighting the team's belief and the fans' support. He emphasized the significance of the victory and the team's focus on taking each game as it comes.
Meanwhile, Chelsea's struggles continued as they lost 1-3 at home to Brighton. Chelsea had previously lost to Bayern Munich and Manchester United and barely defeated League One Lincoln in the Carabao Cup. A win against Brighton was needed to improve the mood around the club. Chelsea's starting XI against Brighton included Robert Sánchez, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella. Midfielders included Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo and Cole Palmer, with Alejandro Garnacho, Joao Pedro and Raheem Sterling in attack.
Brighton's form has been strong, including a 6-0 victory over Barnsley in midweek, with Diego Gomez scoring four goals. Chelsea was dealing with an injury crisis, with players like Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo missing the match.
