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Ultimately, a dire first half meant that Liverpool only had itself to blame for what was eventually a heartbreaking defeat at Crystal Palace, with Eddie Nketiah popping up at the back post in the 97th minute.
At one stage, it looked like Federico Chiesa had earned his side a point with a calm finish. But Nketiah had other ideas, appearing unmarked to score a well-taken goal deep into stoppage time.
And while Liverpool offered little in the way of positives at Crystal Palace, improving after the half-time break but ultimately suffering late heartbreak, Oliver Glasner’s side deserves plenty of credit.
Jean-Philippe Mateta can be a handful and he certainly was here. He gave Ibrahima Konate, in particular, a torrid time in the first half, though he should have been more clinical.
Dean Henderson is a strong goalkeeper, there is quality dotted around the Crystal Palace team, and the system is perfectly drilled.
Daichi Kamada went off injured in the Community Shield a few weeks ago, but he was exceptional here. Alongside him, Adam Wharton was just as industrious with an extra layer of flair and class.
Moments into the game, Wharton flicked a pass around the corner with the outside of his left boot. Seconds after that, he played a first-time pass forward with his right.
"Wharton, I thought he got a bit fatigued and lost too many second balls but he was also injured so we had to use Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma," Oliver Glasner said in his post-match press conference.
If that is Wharton not at his peak, that only underlines his potential. "Adam is just a fantastic player at the beginning of his career," Glasner said.
"He was unlucky last year and we want to keep him fit and manage him in the best possible way. He will have a great career, definitely."
As is the case throughout the Premier League, Crystal Palace has multiple players who wouldn’t look out of place in the Champions League. Marc Guehi, as the Reds know, is one. Wharton is another.
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Arne Slot is not exactly short of midfield options. Ryan Gravenberch has been the league’s best player so far this season, while Alexis Mac Allister can do much more than he showed here.
Dominik Szoboszlai is arguably in the form of his life and Curtis Jones has done well at times off the bench recently — as he did here. But if Liverpool is looking for reinforcements in the future, Wharton would be a good place to start.
He is 21, Premier League (and soon to be European) proven, and with a huge amount of potential. He should be an England regular for the next decade.
Crystal Palace kept both Wharton and Guehi this summer, but at least one of them will be moving in 2026. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if both ended up elsewhere.
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