Nketiah: It was nothing less than the boys deserved
Eddie Nketiah says his late heroics to seal Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win over Liverpool were nothing less than his side deserved, given the quality of their performance in the contest.
The Eagles became the last unbeaten side in this season’s Premier League table – and equalled the club’s record longest-ever unbeaten run (18 matches in all competitions) – in the most incredible of circumstances at Selhurst Park.
Ismaïla Sarr’s early goal had put Palace on course for victory only for Federico Chiesa to strike late on for Liverpool – and then, in the 97th-minute, Nketiah, not long off the bench, produced a clinical finish to send SE25 into rapture.
The striker smiled: "It was a nice flick-on, and I just tried to stay calm and focus on my first touch.
“I trust myself with both feet and it was a nice finish with my left foot, with a bit of a nervous wait for VAR!
"It is nothing less than the boys deserved. We never give up, we never stop believing.
"That's what our fans are known for, creating a great atmosphere, and [the celebrations] shows the togetherness of the group. Anyone that's not playing wants to come on and make an impact and help the team, and the boys that are playing are fighting and are really strong. It's a solid three points.
"We always keep believing. There was still time to play. The Manager said to stay calm and you will get another situation, and thankfully we did and I scored.
"In the first-half we had multiple chances. There aren't many teams who can create that much against Liverpool so credit it to us. It was a thoroughly deserved three points, so I'm happy to be able to help and contribute."
We think we can win every game, and today we showed that
—Eddie Nketiah
With Palace now moving up to second in the Premier League, Nketiah added: “The boys are in really good form. We think we can win every game, and today we showed that.
"That's the environment we have created, we go into every game thinking we can win.
"The Manager just said to help the team. Whenever I come on, I've got to fight and help.
"We are just taking it one game at a time. We have a really good group, we will keep pushing and try to bring more success to the fans."