Zian Flemming's stoppage-time strike condemned Crystal Palace to a 3-2 defeat by Ipswich Town at Selhurst Park on Saturday, a result that leaves the Eagles 13th in the Premier League with three points from three games. The loss was compounded by a first-half red card for defender Axel Disasi, forcing the hosts to play with ten men for over an hour.
Anan Khalaili had given Palace an early lead, finishing from Daichi Kamada's square ball in the 14th minute. Ipswich responded quickly, with Emersonn levelling the scores nine minutes later. The game's major turning point arrived in the 34th minute when Disasi was sent off, reducing Palace to ten men. Leif Davis capitalised on the numerical advantage just before half-time, putting the visitors ahead.
Strand Larsen's equaliser
Despite the disadvantage, Palace fought back in the second half. Jørgen Strand Larsen, who scored twice in the midweek win over Middlesbrough, headed home his third goal in two games in the 75th minute, again assisted by Kamada. The ten men appeared to have secured a hard-earned point until the final minute of normal time. A swift Ipswich counter-attack ended with Flemming firing past Walter Benitez to snatch all three points for Gary O'Neil's side.
The dramatic winner ended a remarkable statistic for Ipswich. It was their first Premier League away victory since April 2025 and halted a run of 32 league matches, stretching back to December 2001, in which they had conceded the first goal and failed to win.
Context and consequences
For Crystal Palace, the defeat halts momentum built from consecutive victories over Fulham and Middlesbrough. Their recent form now reads two wins and three losses from the last five outings. The team has scored four goals but conceded eight in the league this season, leaving them with a negative goal difference.
The red card for Disasi will be a major concern for the management ahead of the next fixture. His suspension will force a defensive reshuffle for the trip to face Leeds United at Elland Road on September 20th. Leeds currently sit ninth in the table, making it another challenging away assignment. The full schedule, including that Leeds clash, is available on our fixtures page.
Palace's goalscorers, Khalaili and Strand Larsen, will take confidence from their contributions, but the defensive issues are clear. The team has now let in three or more goals in three of their last five matches across all competitions. They must address this quickly to climb the table from their current mid-table position, six points behind early leaders Manchester City. The squad list and current player statistics are detailed on our squad page.
