Gary Neville sat in the Sky Sports studio, his voice calm but full of emotion, and even though he has never hidden the fact that he is a Manchester United man through and through, his words about Liverpool this season carried a strange kind of honesty. It was almost as if he was admitting something that hurt his pride. Because when Gary Neville watches Arne Slot’s Liverpool, he feels something he doesn’t want to feel. He feels excitement. He feels admiration. And as he himself admitted, it hurts him. The reason is simple—Liverpool have become the kind of team that plays football in a way that makes even their fiercest rivals sit up and respect them.
But that respect has come at a cost, because Liverpool’s first defeat of the season against Crystal Palace has opened up wounds and sparked debates. Selhurst Park was the place where Liverpool’s unbeaten run ended, and it ended in a way that summed up everything about Slot’s Liverpool so far. Thrilling, chaotic, full of goals, but also vulnerable when the pressure really comes. Palace deserved their win. They pressed hard, they countered with energy, and they punished Liverpool when it mattered most. Federico Chiesa’s late equaliser looked like it had saved the Reds again, but Eddie Nketiah’s last-gasp winner brought Liverpool crashing back to reality.
For Gary Neville, that game told him something important. On his podcast, he spoke with a kind of admiration that sounded almost reluctant. “It hurts me,” he admitted. “It hurts me to say this, but Liverpool are exciting to watch.” For a Mancunian who grew up fighting battles against Liverpool, who spent his career wanting to see them fail, saying those words was not easy. But Neville has never been afraid to say what he sees. And what he sees in Slot’s Liverpool is a team that plays with courage, with freedom, and with a determination to outscore every opponent.
“They go punch for punch,” Neville explained. “They throw everything forward. They don’t sit back, they don’t wait to pinch games, they try to win them outright. They always look like they want to score more goals than the opposition, and that is exciting football.”
For Liverpool fans, hearing Neville speak like that was strange but also satisfying. To see an old enemy praise their team showed just how far Slot had taken them in a short time. But at the same time, his words carried a warning. Because as Neville said, when you play football that way, you do get caught out from time to time. The Palace defeat was proof of that.
Arne Slot, standing on the touchline at Selhurst Park, looked almost powerless in the first half. Palace pressed with such energy that Liverpool could barely breathe. They gave away chance after chance. Alisson had to make huge saves just to keep them alive. In the second half, Liverpool fought back, as they always do. Chiesa scored, the belief was back, the dream of another late escape was alive. But then came Nketiah, and all the hope was gone. For the first time this season, Liverpool’s chaos had cost them everything.
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Neville could see both sides of it. He could see why fans loved it. The drama, the unpredictability, the constant feeling that something could happen at any second—that is what makes football worth watching. But he also knew what it means in a title race. Arsenal’s win over Newcastle on the same weekend was celebrated like a huge moment. It was still September, but you could already feel the tension rising. Liverpool dropping points, Arsenal winning late—it all felt like the start of a battle that will run all season. And Neville predicted it: “They’re going to be in a hell of a race with Arsenal this year.”
But Neville did not stop at just praising Liverpool’s style. He also touched on the problems, and one name came up—Hugo Ekitike. The French forward had been sent off in the Carabao Cup the week before, picking up a second yellow card for taking off his shirt while celebrating. It was a moment of immaturity, and it meant he was suspended for the Palace game. Neville admitted that while you cannot blame him completely, those little details matter. “If he was there,” Neville said, “he might have made the difference.” Against a Palace side that defended deep and compact, Ekitike’s presence might have given Slot something extra. Instead, he had to turn to Alexander Isak, who was still finding his rhythm in the Premier League.
For days, Liverpool fans debated the red card. Some said Ekitike should be forgiven—he is young, he is learning, and passion sometimes takes over. Others said he should be criticised, because in football, small mistakes can cost big prizes. Slot did not go too hard on him publicly, but privately, he will know it was costly. Because at Palace, Liverpool needed every weapon they could get.
This defeat also highlighted another issue—Liverpool’s defence. Even before the Palace game, people like Micah Richards and Alan Shearer had warned about it. Richards had said he was worried about Ibrahima Konate. Shearer had said Liverpool looked all over the place in the first half. At Selhurst Park, those fears came true. Palace ran at them, bullied them, and forced mistakes. Alisson saved them from embarrassment, but not even he could stop Nketiah at the end.
For Slot, this is the challenge. He has built a team that excites, that scores, that plays with fire. But can he build one that also defends with control? Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at their best had both. They were thrilling in attack, but also disciplined in defence. Slot’s Liverpool have the first part, but not yet the second. And that is why Neville’s words hit so hard. He admires them, he loves watching them, but he knows excitement alone doesn’t win titles.
Liverpool now face two huge games before the international break—one in the Champions League, one in the league. Slot knows they need to respond. He knows one defeat can quickly turn into a run if you don’t fix the problems. Neville himself said it won’t be a huge setback if Liverpool react properly. But if they don’t, if they slip again, then Arsenal will smell blood, and the title race will change.
The hurt that Neville spoke about was not just his own as a Mancunian. It is also the kind of hurt Liverpool fans are feeling right now. They love the excitement, they love the late goals, they love the drama—but they know that if the defence doesn’t improve, heartbreak will follow. Selhurst Park was a warning, and everyone saw it.
Neville’s honesty captured the moment perfectly. A Manchester United legend admitting that Liverpool are thrilling, admitting that he admires them, admitting that it hurts him to say it. That is the highest kind of compliment. But it also underlines the truth—Slot’s Liverpool are fun, but fun is not enough. To win the Premier League again, they need more.
And so the story moves on. The Palace defeat will not define the season, but the reaction to it might. Neville will keep watching, fans will keep debating, and Slot will keep searching for balance. Liverpool’s journey under him is only just beginning, but already it is creating feelings—admiration, frustration, pride, fear—that no one can ignore.
That is why Gary Neville’s words matter. Because if even he, the fiercest of rivals, admits that Liverpool are exciting, then the rest of the league knows it too. And that is both a blessing and a burden for Arne Slot and his players.
