Wounded Liverpool looking to punish poor Palace
Andoni Iraola has called on Liverpool to respond to back-to-back defeats when it travels to struggling Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
This time last week, Liverpool was on a five-game unbeaten streak, but that stretch ended with a 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the top-flight on Monday (AEDT).
That was followed by a 3-2 defeat away to Fenerbahce in the UEFA Champions League, with Liverpool twice giving up a lead to end its winning start in that competition.
With the international break now approaching, Iraola wants to see a quick response from his team to get back on track.
"I think that is the challenge, especially in a club like Liverpool," he said.
"One week ago, in this news conference [the talk was], we were on a run, everything was in a good place, and we were in a better mood.
"Now, after two defeats, it changes, and it has to be like this in clubs like ours. Now we have to react after two defeats. We need a win against Crystal Palace away.
"We have been in similar situations against Bournemouth before the international break and after the Brentford game. So, we have to go [to Palace], do a good job and win the game."
Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage, meanwhile, is under huge pressure, with the Eages sitting at the other end of the table in 18th, having lost each of their past three Premier League matches without scoring.
They also have to host Liverpool without the suspended Jean-Philippe Mateta after his red card in the 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur last week.
"As you know, JP [Mateta] was injured at the beginning of the season," Sage said. "There was the opportunity for Jorgen Strand Larsen and Eddie Nketiah to play.
"We have big confidence in the other players. They've shown they are able to play and they are able to compete.
"We need them in the play; we need them to press, we need them to score, to finalise the offensive play. We have some solutions."
