Eddie Nketiah says Crystal Palace “thoroughly deserved” to beat Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Saturday after scoring the winning goal at the death.
The hosts stifled the reigning Premier League champions for much of the afternoon after taking an early lead through the returning Ismaila Sarr.
It wasn’t until the 87th minute that Arne Slot’s side finally made the breakthrough as substitute Federico Chiesa found an equaliser.
But the Reds were dealt their first defeat of the season when Nketiah, who was also sprung from the bench in the second half, fired home the decisive goal in the 97th minute.
Liverpool remain at the top of the table with 15 points from their opening six games, but Palace have now moved up to second on 12 points.
“The boys are in really good form and think we can win every game, and today we showed that,” Nketiah told BBC Match of the Day after the final whistle.
“That’s the environment we have created. We go into every game thinking we can win.
“The manager just said to help the team. Whenever I come on, I’ve got to fight and help.”
Nketiah got on the end of the ball following a flick-on from a long throw before finishing with aplomb, although there was a lengthy wait while VAR checked for offside.
“It was flicked on and I just tried to focus on my first touch. I trust myself with both feet, and it was a nice finish with my left foot, with a bit of a nervous wait for VAR.
“It is nothing less than what the boys deserved. We never give up, we never stop believing.”
Nketiah also told Sky Sports: “We always keep believing. There was still time to play. The manager said to stay calm, and you will get another situation, and thankfully, we did.
“There aren’t many teams that can create that many chances against Liverpool, so a thoroughly deserved three points.
“We are just taking it one game at a time. We have a really good group, we will keep pushing and try to bring more success to the fans.”
