Marc Guehi shows true colours with new Liverpool claim as Oliver Glasner proven right

Marc Guehi assisted Crystal Palace's winning goal against Liverpool after seeing a move to Anfield collapse on transfer deadline day

Marc Guehi rubbed salt in Liverpool wounds as they suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season away at Crystal Palace as he assisted the winning goal. The Reds had looked set to rescue a share of the spoils when Federico Chiesa equalised in the 87th minute, only for Eddie Nketiah to strike a stoppage-time winner from the Eagles captain’s flick-on.

The defender, Guehi, could have easily been playing for Arne Slot, at Selhurst Park rather than against them. However, he saw a £35m move to Anfield collapse on transfer deadline day as Palace pulled the plug after failing to sign a replacement.

Despite the ongoing speculation around his future, both before and after transfer deadline day, Guehi has remained in impressive form for Crystal Palace.

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And this was again the case at Selhurst Park on Saturday as he helped frustrate a below-par Reds side, with Ibrahima Konate in particular coming in for criticism following a poor defensive performance at the other end.

Speaking on Final Score, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown shared his belief that had Liverpool successfully signed Guehi at the start of the month, then the Reds would have instead beaten Palace.

“I think this was really won in that tug-of-war to keep Guehi at the football club,” the pundit said. “(Oliver) Glasner was very aggressive, [he took] an aggressive stance.

“If Guehi was playing today for Liverpool, and maybe in a different world he could have been, Konate got the run-around today and you saw what they were missing.

“Guehi was really important to their defence and they got the necessary win that they need.”

The fact that Liverpool came into the game one centre-back light, having lost Giovanni Leoni to a season-ending ACL injury, only drew greater attention on Guehi and his failed move to Anfield.

The Reds remain interested in the England international, who will be out of contract at the end of the season. But Arne Slot has insisted that Leoni’s injury will not force the Reds to make a fresh move for Guehi in January, with it previously understood that a mid-season move for the defender was unlikely given his looming Bosman status.

Guehi is as dedicated to Crystal Palace as ever, despite the fact he is expected to leave the club in 2026. And that was demonstrated even before facing off against Liverpool on Saturday, as he made his commitment to the South London club clear in his captain’s notes in the official matchday programme.

“I think it’s a sign of the progress that we have made as a team in recent months that, in such tight matches, we are now coming away with wins or, at the very least, a draw,” he wrote. “To go 17 matches unbeaten in all competitions at this level is a great achievement - but as a group we are not satisfied yet. There is still a lot of the season ahead of us.

“As a team, we have a determination to compete to win every single game, regardless of whether that is a friendly or cup final. That doesn’t come down to the efforts of just one player in one position - it’s a collective desire, as a group, to fight for one another, for the badge, and for the club. The strength of that mentality alone makes us a difficult opponent to face for any team.

“That mentality will not change when we take on Liverpool at Selhurst today. We know how well they have started this season, with seven straight wins in all competitions, including in Europe. But we are in our own brilliant run of form, and as we showed against Liverpool at Wembley back in August, on our day, we have the ability to compete with the very best sides in the world.

“Today is another chance to prove that Selhurst Park stands shoulder to shoulder with the best atmospheres in the Premier League. We’ll leave everything on the pitch to claim another three points this afternoon, so make some noise, drive the team forward, and let’s look to keep this brilliant run going.”

Delivering on such words, Guehi played a starring role to help Palace indeed go 18 matches unbeaten, as their victory over Liverpool saw them move up into second in the table.

Speaking after the final whistle, match-winner Eddie Nketiah insisted the Palace dressing room were in no doubt about Guehi’s commitment to the cause.

Meanwhile, manager Oliver Glasner previously admitted that while his captain had been disappointed to see a move to Liverpool collapse, he was also convinced that Guehi would never let him down.

"Of course he was a little bit disappointed at the beginning,” he conceded at his pre-match press conference. “But he said 'no, it's fine, I like being here, I like the team, I like the staff, I like Crystal Palace, I'm a south London boy, it's all good, I will give my best,' and this is exactly what I knew would happen.

“I have no concerns at all (about Guehi). I'm completely convinced, and I mention this quite often, as long as Marc is playing for Crystal Palace, he will be playing with 100 per cent. This is what I expect tomorrow.

"I'm really convinced that he will show this again. He's an amazing player, he's in amazing shape. So I expect a great game from him.”

Glasner was ultimately proven right as Liverpool were made to rue missing out on Guehi. While the England international could still end up joining the Reds next year, he has demonstrated once again why his commitment to Palace, in the short term at least, cannot be called into question.

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