'No use' - Arne Slot singles out one Liverpool player for blame after Crystal Palace score late winner to hand Reds first defeat of the season

After making a perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign as they won their first seven matches across all competitions, including five wins in a row in the Premier League, Liverpool tasted defeat for the first time on Saturday. Crystal Palace were the more dominant side at the start of the game and rightfully took the lead through Ismaila Sarr's goal in the ninth minute. Federico Chiesa then scored the equaliser three minutes before the regulation time ended but Eddie Nketiah netted the winner from a long throw-in as Oliver Glasner's side had the last laugh. 

While dissecting his team's performance after the match, Slot told reporters: "We can only blame ourselves for defending the way we did. One of our players ran out because he wanted to play a counter-attack, which was of no use because time was up, so it was only about defending. One player was too offensively minded in that moment, which led to them scoring the winner and us losing the game."

Slot's comments appeared to be directed at Frimpong as the summer signing stepped away from Nketiah who went on to bag the winner.

"It was a disappointing first half and disappointing end to game. Credit to Palace – with the Community Shield it’s not the first time we’ve lost to them. They deserved to be two or three up in the first half," he added. "The second half was much better from us, we created chances that not many teams do here. It took us a while to score a goal – and when we did, to concede another set-piece goal is just as disappointing as the first half. If one team deserved to win today it was Palace."

Slot also admitted that the Reds have been struggling to tackle opponents' set-piece moves as he added: "If you want to compete and want to be right up there you need a very positive balance in set pieces. That is what I always say, for years, and in this league that is probably even more the situation. That was one of our biggest strengths last season. We hardly conceded a set piece. Now against Newcastle we conceded two and today we conceded two so that is something we need to do better. But this league is more and more about set pieces.

"We had to defend a lot of them as well and the margins are small. One of our players in the last minute runs forward to maybe try to counter attack for a second goal but in that area the ball falls for a Crystal Palace player who scores."

The English champions will now prepare to face Turkish giants Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, before they make their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on October 4.