In a thrilling encounter at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace delivered a stunning 2-1 defeat to Premier League leaders Liverpool, ending their five-match winning start to the season with a dramatic late goal from substitute Eddie Nketiah. The victory not only propelled Palace to second in the table but also extended their impressive unbeaten run across all competitions to 18 games, a club record.

Crystal Palace started the match in dominant fashion, with manager Oliver Glasner later hailing their first-half performance as "the best half since we arrived." Their early superiority was rewarded in the ninth minute when Ismaïla Sarr bundled home a goal after Liverpool failed to clear a corner. Despite numerous chances, including superb saves from Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker against Yeremy Pino, Daniel Munoz, and Jean-Philippe Mateta – who also hit the woodwork – Palace struggled to convert their domination into a more comfortable lead.

Liverpool, after a dismal first half, improved significantly after the break, with Palace keeper Dean Henderson making crucial saves, notably turning Ryan Gravenberch’s powerful drive onto the post and denying Florian Wirtz from point-blank range. Record signing Alexander Isak, making his full Premier League debut, also shot wide for the visitors. As the game neared its conclusion, Liverpool's habit of striking late seemed to resurface when substitute Federico Chiesa pounced from close range in the 87th minute to level the score, a goal that looked to have salvaged a point their performance barely merited.

However, the drama was far from over. In the seventh minute of added time (97th minute), following a long throw-in and a flick-on, Eddie Nketiah chested the ball down and volleyed it past Alisson. The goal stood after a video assistant referee (VAR) check confirmed Gravenberch’s foot kept him just onside, sparking pandemonium at Selhurst Park and sealing a memorable victory for Palace.

Post-match reactions highlighted the contrasting emotions. Palace manager Oliver Glasner expressed immense pride, noting how his team kept their heads up and regained momentum after conceding the equalizer. He joked about the stress of the late winner, stating it perfectly captured "why we love football." For Liverpool, captain Virgil van Dijk admitted disappointment in their performance, particularly the first half, conceding that even a draw would have been "one point too much." He urged his team to "stay calm" but acknowledged they need to improve "pretty quickly" ahead of their Champions League fixture against Galatasaray.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, visibly frustrated, attributed the late winning goal to a defensive lapse by one of his players, implying Jeremie Frimpong, who he stated "decided to run out because he wanted to play a counter-attack, which was of no use because time was up." Slot concluded that the team was "too offensively minded" in that critical moment, which ultimately cost them the game and ended their perfect start to the season.