Chelsea Stunned by Sunderland as Liverpool Bounce Back with Victory Over Crystal Palace

Posted : 08 November 2026

Chelsea suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland on Sunday, while Liverpool returned to winning ways with a convincing 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

The Blues travelled to the Stadium of Light hoping to strengthen their push for a top-four finish and qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League. However, Xabi Alonso's men were unable to deliver, suffering another setback against a Sunderland side that had struggled near the bottom of the table.

The defeat marked Chelsea's fourth loss in 10 Premier League matches under former Real Madrid manager Alonso, leaving the fifth-placed London club with further questions to answer about their consistency.

Sunderland secured the victory through Enzo Le Fee's 36th-minute penalty. The midfielder calmly converted from the spot after Brian Brobbey went down following a challenge involving Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

Alonso was particularly frustrated by the decision, believing Chelsea should have been awarded a foul on Cole Palmer during the build-up to the penalty. Despite their disappointment, the visitors failed to find an equaliser as Sunderland defended their advantage to claim a valuable three points.

Meanwhile, Liverpool ended a difficult run of results with an impressive performance against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Andoni Iraola's side had arrived in south London following consecutive defeats against Arsenal in the Premier League and Fenerbahce in the Champions League. Those results had increased scrutiny on the manager, who is in his first season at Anfield.

However, Liverpool responded positively, with Alexis Mac Allister opening the scoring in the 40th minute. The Argentine midfielder headed home from Dominik Szoboszlai's delivery to give the visitors the advantage before half-time.

Florian Wirtz doubled Liverpool's lead in the 54th minute, finishing confidently after receiving a cross from Bradley Barcola. The goal was the German playmaker's first in the Premier League this season and his second across all competitions.

Alexander Isak added a third goal in the 89th minute after being set up by Wirtz, completing a much-needed victory for the Reds and ending their two-match losing streak.

The result lifted Liverpool to fourth place in the standings and extended their impressive away record to four consecutive league victories.

Crystal Palace managed to score a consolation goal in stoppage time when Eddie Nketiah converted a penalty following a foul by Milos Kerkez. However, the late strike did little to change the outcome.

The defeat increased the pressure on Palace manager Pierre Sage, whose team remained at the bottom of the Premier League table after suffering their seventh defeat in 10 league matches.

Brighton Continue Impressive Run to Move Second

Brighton strengthened their push for Champions League qualification with a 2-0 home victory over Brentford at the Amex Stadium.

Fabian Hurzeler's side continued their impressive start to the campaign, climbing above Manchester City into second place and moving within five points of league leaders Arsenal.

Diego Gomez opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a spectacular long-range effort from approximately 25 yards, giving the hosts an early advantage.

Brentford's afternoon became more difficult when striker Igor Thiago received a red card for striking Chema Andres in the face midway through the first half.

Brighton took advantage of their numerical superiority before the interval, with Pascal Gross converting a penalty in the 42nd minute after Luka Vuskovic was fouled by Keane Lewis-Potter.

The victory represented Brighton's sixth win in their last seven Premier League matches, further strengthening their credentials as contenders for a place in next season's Champions League.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth continued their impressive form with a 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town.

Brazilian forward Evanilson gave the visitors an early lead in the fifth minute with a clinical finish, extending his scoring run to seven goals in his last eight appearances.

Bournemouth increased their advantage immediately after the restart when Ipswich defender Leif Davis inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 46th minute.

Ipswich attempted to fight back, with Jack Clarke converting a penalty in the 73rd minute, but Bournemouth held on to secure all three points.

Manchester United Face Crucial Test Against Aston Villa

Attention also turned to Manchester United's home meeting with Aston Villa, with manager Michael Carrick facing growing pressure to improve the team's results.

United entered the encounter without a Premier League victory in their previous seven matches and having managed just one league win throughout the campaign.

Their recent struggles had increased uncertainty surrounding Carrick's position, making the fixture against Villa particularly important ahead of the international break.

The Red Devils had, however, shown signs of recovery in midweek after ending a nine-match winless run across all competitions with a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Roma in the Champions League.

United were therefore hoping to build on that result and deliver a much-needed improvement in their domestic campaign.

Chelsea Stunned by Sunderland as Liverpool Bounce Back with Victory Over Crystal Palace

Brighton Continue Impressive Run to Move Second

Manchester United Face Crucial Test Against Aston Villa

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