LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Eddie Nketiah of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring the winning goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on September 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Crystal Palace is the only unbeaten team left in the Premier League this season. Saturday’s 2-1 win over Liverpool was notable enough considering the Reds’ standing as defending champions, but the real achievement might have been in how it extended the Eagles’ unbeaten run to an incredible 18 games.
The form of Oliver Glasner’s team is no flash in the pan. Crystal Palace haven’t lost a game in the league since April and have beaten Manchester City in the FA Cup final and Liverpool in the Community Shield since then. The Eagles must be taken seriously as a force at the top level of English soccer.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Manager Oliver Glasner and Yeremy Pino of Crystal Palace celebrate during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on September 27, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
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With this in mind, it’s worth considering that Palace could challenge for Champions League qualification this season. Last term, Nottingham Forest emerged as surprise contenders for a top five place, only fading towards the end of the campaign. There’s no reason to believe Crystal Palace couldn’t emulate this success.
That Palace has managed to continue on its upward trajectory despite selling its best player in the summer transfer window is remarkable. Indeed, Eberechi Eze was a star for the Eagles last season, hence why Arsenal was willing to spend $70m to sign him in the belief he would boost its title chances.
The summer before that, Palace lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich. He too was integral to Glasner’s forward line and has demonstrated his quality by quickly becoming a key figure for the German champions. Most teams would have taken a step backwards after losing Eze and Olise in back-to-back summers.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah of Crystal celebrate after their sides victory during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on September 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
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Glasner, however, is the biggest asset Crystal Palace has. The Austrian was publicly unhappy with the summer transfer business conducted by the club, but has still found a way to keep his team heading in the right direction. Saturday’s fully deserved win over Liverpool was a showcase of everything that makes the Eagles so good.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr and Yeremy Pino were quick to attack open space and push Liverpool back in transition. Palace were intelligent when pressuring the ball in the centre of the pitch and gambling in the final third when it was wise to do so, making the most of the Reds’ defensive vulnerability.
Squad depth could be an issue for Palace over the course of the season, especially with Glasner’s team in the Conference League after winning the FA Cup last term, but if the Eagles can stay fit they could continue to fly high in the Premier League table. Champions League qualification could be in the offing.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/grahamruthven/2025/09/30/could-crystal-palace-challenge-for-champions-league-qualification/
