Michael Owen: ‘Liverpool Star Didn’t Know What He Was Doing in Crystal Palace Defeat’

Michael Owen has never been one to hold back his words, and after Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, he found himself pointing fingers, and the finger he pointed hardest was at Ibrahima Konate. For Owen, the French defender’s performance was not only disappointing, it was confusing, chaotic, and a danger to Liverpool’s hopes of staying at the top of the Premier League. His words cut deep because they came on a night when Liverpool’s proud unbeaten run ended and questions began to rise about whether this team has the defensive stability to defend their crown.

Liverpool entered this season with the weight of champions. Arne Slot had already led them through five Premier League games, all victories, though none fully convincing. Supporters had been whispering about flaws, about chances missed by opponents, about Alisson Becker saving them again and again, but victories covered those cracks. Palace, however, are not a side to be covered over. They arrived at this fixture unbeaten in 17 games, a team reborn under Oliver Glasner, compact, hungry, disciplined. They had already defeated Liverpool once this season in the Community Shield. They believed they could do it again, and at Selhurst Park, they did.

From the first whistle, Liverpool looked sluggish. Konate, alongside Virgil van Dijk, was supposed to marshal the defense, but instead he looked lost. Mateta ran at him, Sarr drifted into his space, Yeremy Pino dragged him wide. Every time the ball came near him, Palace smelled blood. And soon the blood came.

A simple corner, not even one that should have been given, led to the opening goal. Ryan Gravenberch’s clearance was weak, falling straight to Ismaila Sarr. One strike later and Palace were ahead. The roar from Selhurst Park was deafening. It was not just a goal, it was belief made flesh. Liverpool’s defenders stood still, Konate among them, watching, hesitating, almost unsure of what had just happened.

Alisson tried to save them, as he always does. He made stop after stop, denying Mateta, Pino, and Muñoz. Without him, the score could have been 3-0 at half-time. But football is cruel, and it exposes weaknesses no matter how long you try to hide them.

After the game, Owen’s verdict was brutal. “Konate in the first half didn’t know what he was doing,” he said. The words hung in the air like a sentence. This was not a gentle critique; this was a hammer blow. Owen went further, suggesting it wasn’t about rustiness or tiredness. “I don’t know whether it was tiredness,” he admitted, “but we saw one or two performances like that from him already this season.” In other words, this wasn’t an accident. This was a pattern.

And for Liverpool, that pattern is dangerous. Because in the aftermath of Giovanni Leoni’s injury, the young defender who arrived from Parma only to be ruled out for almost a year, the club’s defensive depth has been ripped apart. Slot cannot rotate. He cannot hide Konate. He must play him, even when he looks like this. And that, Owen implied, could ruin Liverpool’s season.

The game itself continued in the same dramatic rhythm. Palace attacked, Alisson saved, Liverpool tried to respond. Wirtz missed his golden chance, Isak missed another. Salah was quiet, Szoboszlai grew a little but not enough. Palace grew in confidence, and when Chiesa equalised late on, it felt like Liverpool’s script would repeat again—another late escape. But football is not always a script. In stoppage time, a long throw into the Liverpool box caused chaos, and Eddie Nketiah pounced. His strike in the 97th minute sent Selhurst Park into a frenzy and left Liverpool beaten.

As the dust settled, the focus returned to Konate. Not because he alone was responsible—Liverpool as a team were poor—but because he symbolised the weakness. When Palace pressed, he panicked. When Mateta challenged, he lost. When the team needed calm, he gave confusion. And for a club that prides itself on defensive strength built on Van Dijk’s leadership, it was a worrying sight.

Owen’s criticism carried weight because he knows what it means to wear the Liverpool shirt, he knows the standards, and he knows how quickly doubt can eat into a title challenge. He also knows the power of words. “He didn’t know what he was doing.” Those words will stick to Konate until he proves otherwise.

Liverpool fans are split. Some defend him, pointing out his past performances, his pace, his recovery tackles. Others agree with Owen, frustrated by the mistakes, worried about the lack of options. With Leoni out, with Joel Matip gone, with Joe Gomez still inconsistent, Konate is under the spotlight like never before.

Arne Slot, calm in his post-match interviews, refused to single anyone out. He spoke about tiredness, about moments, about small details. But inside, he will know Owen was right. He will know Konate must improve quickly, because the Premier League is ruthless. A weak link is always targeted, always punished. And if Liverpool want to fight Manchester City again, they cannot afford weakness at the back.

This defeat was more than just three points lost. It was a message. Palace showed the league that Liverpool can be beaten. They showed how to press, how to isolate Konate, how to silence Salah, how to frustrate Isak. Other managers will watch, they will copy, they will plan. Liverpool now face not just the defeat but the consequences of what it revealed.

The supporters sang loud at the end, backing their team, but even they know this was a warning. Anfield may still be a fortress, but away from home, cracks are showing. Konate, once seen as the heir to Van Dijk’s throne, now stands as the man under fire. He has time, he has talent, but football is merciless. One more display like this, and Owen’s words will not just be opinion, they will be truth.

For now, Liverpool must move forward. The Champions League awaits, the Premier League continues. But somewhere in the shadows of Selhurst Park, a truth was written: their defense is fragile, and unless Konate finds his footing fast, the dream of another title could turn into a nightmare.

And so the night ended with Palace undefeated, Liverpool broken, and Owen’s voice echoing across the football world: “Konate didn’t know what he was doing.” For a defender at the heart of Liverpool’s ambitions, there can be no harsher judgement