This past weekend delivered some massive surprises in Europe’s biggest football leagues. Four of the world’s most famous teams—Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Real Madrid—all lost their matches. This rare event proves that even the biggest clubs can have bad days.
Liverpool, the current champions of the Premier League, lost 2-1 away to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The defeat was Liverpool’s first of the season.
Crystal Palace scored first early in the game. Liverpool fought back, and substitute Federico Chiesa tied the score at 1-1 in the 87th minute. Just when it looked like Liverpool would escape with a draw, Palace struck late. Former Arsenal player Eddie Nketiah scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time (the 97th minute).
The win was a huge moment for Crystal Palace, who have now matched their club record of 18 matches unbeaten in all competitions.
Chelsea suffered a tough 3-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at their home stadium, Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea took the lead first, but the match turned sour when defender Trevoh Chalobah was given a red card in the second half. This meant Chelsea had to play with only ten men. Brighton took full advantage, scoring three times against the short-handed Chelsea defense.
The result is putting a lot of pressure on Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca. Injuries to key players, like star forward Cole Palmer, are also making things harder for the team.
Manchester United’s difficult season continued with a 3-1 loss away to Brentford.
The team’s struggles have led to heavy criticism for manager Ruben Amorim. He has failed to get a consistent run of good results, especially in away games. Pundits and former players have openly criticized the team’s tactics and decisions during the match.
In Spain, Real Madrid suffered the most painful loss of the weekend, getting crushed 5-2 by their city rivals, Atlético Madrid, in the famous Madrid Derby.
Real Madrid was actually leading 2-1 for a short time, but Atlético came back fiercely, scoring four more goals to complete the huge victory. This massive defeat for Real Madrid has raised serious concerns about their defense and how deep their roster is.
It’s extremely rare for all four of these massive clubs to lose on the same weekend. The results are a big wake-up call, showing that talent and history don’t guarantee a win. The teams that recover quickly from these losses will be the ones that can still fight for trophies this season.
