England-born forward of Ghanaian descent Eddie Nketiah scored his first Premier League goal of the season, but it proved only a consolation as Crystal Palace suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
The striker came off the bench to find the net in stoppage time, giving the Selhurst Park faithful something to cheer in an otherwise disappointing afternoon for the Eagles.
Liverpool controlled much of the contest and broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time through Alexis Mac Allister, who finished calmly to hand the visitors a deserved 1-0 advantage.
The Reds tightened their grip on the match shortly after the restart when Florian Wirtz doubled the lead in the 54th minute with a composed finish.
Crystal Palace struggled to threaten Liverpool’s defence, and any hopes of a comeback were effectively ended in the 89th minute when Alexander Isak added a third goal to put the result beyond doubt.
Nketiah, introduced in the 72nd minute, continued to press the Liverpool backline and was rewarded deep into stoppage time after Palace were awarded a penalty.
The 27-year-old kept his composure from 12 yards, confidently converting the spot-kick in the fifth minute of added time to score his first Premier League goal of the campaign and reduce the deficit.
Although the strike came too late to influence the outcome, it marked an important personal milestone for the Ghanaian-eligible attacker, who will be hoping the goal serves as a springboard for a strong finish to the first half of the season.
Following the November international break, Nketiah will be aiming to build on his breakthrough moment and establish himself as a regular source of goals for Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
