Nketiah delivers at the death as Palace end Liverpool's unbeaten start

SELHURST SCENES: Crystal Palace's Eddie Nketiah celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game. Pic: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire.

Premier League: Crystal Palace 2 Liverpool 1 

Eddie Nketiah scored in the 97th minute to end Liverpool's unbeaten start to the Premier League as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Ismaila Sarr had given Palace the lead in the ninth minute, but Liverpool thought they had secured a point late on through Federico Chiesa's equaliser in the 89th minute, only for Nketiah to fire Palace ahead with the last kick of the game.

Victory equals Palace's all-time unbeaten run in their history, spanning 18 matches, who rise to second in the table, three points off leaders Liverpool.

Arne Slot's side dominated the opening exchanges, but it was the hosts who went in front nine minutes into the affair, as the returning Sarr, who has become a thorn in Liverpool's side in recent seasons, tapped in from close range to the ecstasy of the Selhurst faithful.

Daichi Kamada's corner was diverted into the path of Sarr via the head of Ryan Gravenberch, who fired in from close range to give Oliver Glasner's men the lead with his fifth goal against the Reds. 

Palace should have had a second almost immediately from kick off as Sarr turned provider for Yeremy Pino, but the Spaniard's effort was brilliantly saved by the feet of Allison.

The Brazilian shotstopper then denied Daniel Munoz with a superb right hand save in the 22nd minute before another point blank stop from Jean-Philippe Mateta as Liverpool's defensive fragility began to lay bare.

The rest of the first half ebbed and flowed until the fifth minute of injury time, where the hosts thought they had doubled their advantage, but Mateta's curling effort could only smash off the post and across the goalmouth.

Crystal Palace's Eddie Nketiah scores the winner. Pic: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire.

Liverpool began to pick up the tempo at the start of the second period, Florian Wirtz almost opened his account in English football on the hour mark but his deft flick was parried away by Henderson, before Alexander Isak's mazy dribble into the Palace penalty area minutes later could only see him fire the ball wide of the goal.

Slot struck a frustrated figure from the sidelines as his side continued to press for an equaliser, with all his cards at play with Isak, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa all on the pitch together.

Liverpool got a deserved equaliser through substitute Chiesa, who smashed the ball into the bottom left corner from close range after Chris Richards failed to deal with Gravenberch's looped cross, but substitute Nketiah popped up in the 97th minute to fire Palace back in front with the last kick of the game.

Crystal Palace (3-4-3): Henderson 7; Munoz, 7, Richards 6, Lacroix 6, Guehi 7, Mitchell 6; Wharton (Hughes, 62') 7, Kamada (Devenny 90+1') 6; Sarr (Nketiah,74') 8, Pino (Lerma, 74') 6, Mateta 7.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Allison 7; Bradley (Gakpo, HT) 4, Van Dijk 6, Konate (Frimpong, 74') 5, Kirkez 5; Gravenberch 6, Mac Allister (Jones, 65') 6, Szoboszlai 6; Wirtz (Chiesa, 74') 5, Salah 5, Isak (Ngumoha, 84) 5.

Referee: Chris Kavanagh 6