In a day of shocking results, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool all stumbled in their respective Premier League fixtures, leaving fans and pundits alike reeling from the unexpected turn of events.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea fell to Brighton & Hove Albion in a 3-1 defeat, with substitute Danny Welbeck the standout performer, netting two goals.
Maxim De Cuyper’s header gave Brighton the lead during the 11 minutes of added time, shocking the home side, who had struggled since Trevoh Chalobah’s dismissal in the 53rd minute.
De Cuyper, unmarked, nodded the ball home after Mats Wieffer had returned Yasin Ayari’s deep cross into the box, before fellow substitute Welbeck sealed Chelsea’s fate with his second of the match.
For the second consecutive league match, Enzo Maresca found himself searching for answers following a red card. This time, he could at least take solace from Enzo Fernandez’s header that had put his side ahead midway through the first half. However, following Chalobah’s dismissal for denying Diego Gómez a clear goalscoring opportunity—similar to events at Old Trafford last weekend—Chelsea were forced to adapt.
Their failure to do so has raised further questions about this young side’s ability to maintain composure and organisational discipline under pressure.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s woes deepened as they succumbed to Brentford in another 3-1 loss.
The hosts’ attacking prowess and solid defense proved too much for the visiting side, who struggled to find their rhythm throughout the match.
The scoring opened early in the match when Brentford’s Thiago netted the first goal just 20 minutes in, leaving United’s defense scrambling. The Brazilian playmaker doubled the lead six minutes later, finding the back of the net again in the 26th minute to put Brentford ahead 2-0.
Manchester United managed to pull one back before halftime, with Benjamin Šeško scoring in the 55th minute and giving the visitors a glimmer of hope. However, Brentford’s resilience shone through as their defense held firm, preventing any further United advances and in the dying moments of the game, M. Jensen sealed the victory in stoppage time, extending the lead to 3-1 with a well-placed shot, much to the delight of the home fans.
The defeat adds further pressure on Reuben Amorim with questions swirling about his future at the club.
In South London, Liverpool’s unbeaten streak was brought to an abrupt halt by Crystal Palace, who secured a 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park. Jürgen Klopp’s side, boasting a formidable attack, struggled to find its rhythm against a resilient Palace team.
The Eagles managed to snatch the victory right at the end, just as Federico Chiesa appeared to have salvaged a point for the reigning champions. This match marked a turning point for Liverpool, who had triumphed in all seven of their fixtures this season since their defeat to Palace in the Community Shield.
Historically, Liverpool demonstrated a trend of late drama, securing six victories with goals scored in the 83rd minute or later. However, it was Nketiah, a substitute, who turned the tables with a stunning effort, sending Palace’s usually composed manager, Oliver Glasner, racing down the touchline in jubilation.
The home side opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Ismaïla Sarr capitalised on a swift move down the left flank involving Tyrick Mitchell and Yeremy Pino, leading to Palace’s first corner. Daichi Kamada delivered an accurate cross, and Marc Guéhi made his presence felt — he could have been a Liverpool player had the transfer deal gone through on deadline day. The Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, unfortunately for him, inadvertently redirected the ball back into his own six-yard box, where Sarr was perfectly positioned to find the net.
