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Liverpool’s day went from bad to worse after their latest Premier League defeat at Selhurst Park — and a bizarre incident involving the team bus only added insult to injury.
As the bus departed the stadium following the controversial loss where the league was forced to explain a referee's decision, one Crystal Palace fan delivered a trolling stunt that quickly caught attention. The supporter put what looked like a phone and a beer onto the road before crouching down directly in front of the moving vehicle.
For nearly a full minute, he slowly tied his shoelaces, deliberately blocking the bus as bystanders laughed and jeered. It came as Liverpool was handed a consolation boost immediately after the loss.
The strange moment capped off a frustrating night for Arne Slot’s side. Liverpool had fallen behind early when Ismaïla Sarr capitalized on defensive lapses in the ninth minute.
Despite Alisson’s strong saves and a handful of missed chances, the Reds struggled to find a breakthrough until the 87th minute, when Federico Chiesa grabbed what looked like a late equaliser.
But any hope of salvaging a point disappeared moments later as Eddie Nketiah struck in stoppage time, handing Palace a 2–1 win and extending their unbeaten run to 18 matches.
Slot was candid in his post-match assessment. “Very difficult first half,” he told Sky Sports. “They did really well and deserved to be 1-0 up, we were lucky it was only 1-0.
"Second half it was the opposite. It took a while before we scored and we did with a few minutes left. But from a second set piece they won the game.”
The manager highlighted set pieces as a growing concern. “If you want to compete you need a very positive balance with set pieces and even more in this league,” he added.
“It was one of our biggest strengths last season, now we have conceded two against Newcastle and two here. But this league is more and more and more about set pieces.”
Liverpool entered the match as reigning Premier League champions, having lifted their 20th league title in Slot’s debut season in 2024–25. The victory silenced doubts about whether they could thrive after Jurgen Klopp’s departure.
Their start to the new campaign had been encouraging, but the loss at Selhurst Park was a reminder that sustaining title-winning consistency is no easy task.
Against Palace, those weaknesses, especially at the back, were ruthlessly exposed. And by the time their bus rolled out into south London, even the fans were adding to the misery.
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