Arne Slot Admits Liverpool Have ‘Plenty To Fix’ After Palace Defeat

‎Arne Slot admitted Liverpool had plenty to worry about after their first defeat of the season, a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace.

‎Eddie Nketiah struck the decisive blow deep into stoppage time, volleying home after a long throw was not cleared. The former Arsenal striker’s goal sealed a dramatic win at Selhurst Park.

‎Palace are now the Premier League’s only unbeaten side, sitting second and just three points off the top.

‎Liverpool, who had won their opening five league games, looked to have salvaged a point when Federico Chiesa cancelled out Ismaïla Sarr’s opener late on.

‎His equaliser came just three minutes from time after a corner.

‎However, Eddie Nketiah’s stoppage-time strike denied them. Arne Slot avoided blaming set-piece issues but admitted Crystal Palace were worthy winners.

‎“They had more than only two set-piece goals,” said the Liverpool manager.

‎“They didn’t score more, but they had chances from open play, from transition. So there were more things not to like than only defending the set-pieces.

‎“The good thing was that in the other moments, Alisson saved us. The Palace has a few threats. Set-pieces are one of them, but counterattack and balls in behind are number two and three.

‎”From all these situations, they’ve created a lot of chances. We were able to create quite a lot against a Palace team, which hardly ever concedes a chance.

‎“But when you look at the first half, they totally deserved to win. In the second half, it was a much better performance from us. If one team deserved to win, it was Palace.”

‎Alexander Isak made his first Premier League start since his record-breaking move from Newcastle but found it difficult to make an impact.

‎The Swedish striker managed only six touches in the first half and missed his sole chance after the interval.

‎“It had a lot to do with the low intensity of the game,” said Slot.

‎“He was close to a goal. He was very honest to stay on his feet. He got a little bit of a shirt pull. That’s why he was unbalanced when he had to shoot. He didn’t score, but quite a good performance.”

‎Glasner’s impact at Crystal Palace

‎Crystal Palace manager, Oliver Glasner, hailed his team’s first-half display, calling it the best since he replaced Roy Hodgson. The Austrian was delighted with the performance but remained cautious.

‎He noted that last season it took until the ninth match for his first victory.

‎Glasner warned that being unbeaten now and equalling the club’s 18-game streak means little ahead of Thursday’s Conference League clash with Dinamo Kyiv.

‎“We’re still in September, so there’s nothing more to say,” he said.

‎“Last year, we were the only team that had never won at this stage of the Premier League. They ended with a points record and won the FA Cup.

‎”That’s why we’re always humble. We take this positivity and these positive feelings and emotions.”