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16_1206x678.webp "Liverpool manager Arne Slot: Crystal Palace deserved to win")
Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted his side were second-best as Crystal Palace snatched a dramatic 2-1 win at Selhurst Park, ending the champions' perfect start to the season.
Palace opened the scoring in the ninth minute through Ismaila Sarr. Federico Chiesa equalised in the 87th minute for Liverpool but substitute Eddie Nketiah won it for the Eagles with a last-gasp 97th-minute winner to hand the Reds their first defeat of the season.
"If one team deserved to win today, it was Palace," Slot said bluntly after the match. "They totally deserved to be two or three up in the first half."
It was a humbling evening for a Liverpool team that had won all seven of their competitive fixtures this season, including in the Premier League, Champions League, and League Cup. But Slot was quick to point out that the loss was not just about conceding from set pieces - an issue that has plagued his side in recent weeks.
Liverpool once again conceded from a set-piece - just as they did in their previous loss to Newcastle - but Slot made it clear that the issues ran deeper.
"Against Newcastle, we conceded two set-pieces, and they were the only chances they had," said the Dutchman.
"But today, Palace had more than just the two set-piece goals. They had chances from open play, from transition. So, there were more things not to like today than only defending set-pieces.
Despite Chiesa's late equaliser that briefly raised hopes of another late comeback, Liverpool's defensive discipline collapsed once again in stoppage time. Nketiah was left unmarked at the back post to volley home the winner after a long throw-in was poorly cleared.
Slot was visibly frustrated with his side's game management.
"One of our players ran out to try and counter when time was up. It was only about defending at that point, and he left us exposed," he explained. "We can only blame ourselves for the way we defended."
Meanwhile, the Reds boss was full of praise for Palace's attacking versatility, pointing to their multiple avenues of threat.
"They have a few threats. Set-pieces are one of them, but counter-attacks and balls in behind are number two and three," he said. "From all those situations, they created a lot of chances."
Though Liverpool improved after the break, Slot acknowledged the slow start ultimately cost them the match.
"In the second half, it was a much better performance from us. We created quite a lot against a Palace team that hardly concedes chances. But if you look at the game overall, they deserved it," concluded Slot.
