Marc Guehi shows true colours with post-match actions as Liverpool transfer mistake laid bare

View 3 Images

Liverpool have intimated they won't be moving for Marc Guehi in January - but following a defensive horror show against Crystal Palace, it's hard to envisage anybody believing them. The England international did not require a stormer to reaffirm what was already obvious, the Premier League champions missed a trick when failing to land the 25-year-old central defender this summer.

Steve Parish eventually answered Oliver Glasner's prayers and pulled the plug on the £35million transfer at the eleventh hour on deadline day but had Liverpool put the magic number - £40m - on the table earlier in the window, Guehi undoubtedly have been returning to Selhurst Park for the first time as an away player on Saturday.

The great irony of it all is that there is genuinely a strong argument Arne Slot's Liver Birds, who had their wings clipped in south east London following Eddie Nketiah last-gasp winner, actually needed Guehi's defensive qualities more than Alexander Isak's attacking firepower.

While Hugo Ekitike was suspended this weekend, he has hit the ground running on Merseyside, plundering five goals and it has been a near-perfect start for the red-hot Frenchman. At the other end of the pitch, they've look vulnerable.

Giovanni Leoni's unfortunate ACL injury has left Liverpool desperately short at the back and if the club had not realised it already, this appeared to be the day that hammered home just how much they needed Guehi.

The clock had not long struck the 20-minute mark and it was not an exaggeration to say the Reds could well have been 4-0 down. Given the match had also been paused due to a medical emergency in the crowd - that was quite the statement.

Slot's Reds looked haggard, while Crystal Palace were buoyed following a rare week of rest in light of last weekend's 2-1 victory at West Ham.

View 3 Images

The greatest mystery was how the Eagles only went in 1-0 up at the break because they battered Liverpool from pillar to post. It would have been a first-half whitewash had it not been for the excellent reflexes of Alisson.

Ibrahima Konate was at the heart of Liverpool's fragility and if anyone has watched the Premier League champions this season, it was not the first time that has happened.

It's no secret that Real Madrid are circling ahead of the expiry of his contract next summer but the drop-off in recent weeks has been seismic.

He was schooled by the clever and cunning Jean-Philippe Mateta, who lured Konate into an early booking and dragged his compatriot into the trenches.

Liverpool best wrap Virgil van Dijk in cotton wool because if he picks up an injury, there will be problems. Up the other end, Guehi had barely got out of first gear and looked a class act.

View 3 Images

Liverpool's star-studded forward line featuring Mohamed Salah, British-record signing Isak and £116million-rated Florian Wirtz looked gormless and starved of both energy and chemistry. But even when questions were asked of Guehi, his response was everything you would expect; he was calm and composed.

You just know the Glasner's indispensable centre-back would have been dreading all the noise around the fixture because he does not like the spotlight.

Examine Guehi's performance closely and he looks a Rolls Royce. He was involved in the opener, completed 19 of his 21 passes, made 11 defensive contributions and led Palace to a well-deserved victory.

Guehi has been at the heart of their record-equalling club-record 18-game unbeaten run and his display against Liverpool was further proof the Reds made a rare transfer blunder in failing to secure his signature - they will surely make amends for that this winter.

Even at the full-time whistle, there was a chance for a post-match embrace with Van Dijk but Guehi gave the Dutchman a small tap on the back and merely walked off. He did not want the plaudits as in his view, it was simply job done.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.