Iraola: We must get through these difficult times.

Another key match in the 10th round of the 2026/27 Premier League season will take place, with Liverpool traveling to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace. Andoni Iraola stated that in such a long season, the team's performance is bound to fluctuate, and therefore they must weather these difficult moments.

In the last round of the Premier League, Liverpool conceded a goal to Havertz in the first half but were unable to change the score in the remainder of the game, ultimately losing 0-1 at home to defending champions Arsenal, achieving a record of 3 wins and 2 losses in the last 5 rounds.

In addition, in the earlier Champions League match, Liverpool lost 2-3 to Fenerbahce despite goals from Tre Nioni and Isak.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said, "Just a week ago, at this same press conference, we were on a winning streak, everything was going well, and the team's morale was even better. But now we've suffered two defeats, and naturally, things have changed. In a club like ours, this change is inevitable and should happen. Now, we must respond quickly after this losing streak."

“We need to beat Crystal Palace away from home. I think we’ve faced similar situations before. I remember the game against Bournemouth before the international break, and the game against Brentford. So we have to go to the away game and accomplish our goal, and win the game.”

Andoni Iraola said, "It's not easy to do this right now because we tend to react the same way. Everyone gets angry every time we lose a game. We have to look at things from a broader perspective and understand that there will inevitably be ups and downs in performance as the team grows."

“We have to get through these difficult times. Of course, we hope to perform well in every game and achieve victory and the desired results, but that’s usually not the case. Sometimes the team is in good form, like before the Arsenal game, but now that we’ve lost two games in a row, there are naturally all sorts of questions coming from the outside. I can understand that, and if I were a fan, I would have the same reaction.”

Andoni Iraola continued, "But those of us inside the team and working with them every day are very clear about what we're doing. We're not as bad as we look today, nor as good as we looked a week ago. We must remain objective, and adjusting the team's morale is one of the challenges I face."

"We need to correct some issues, especially in the game a few days ago, where our mistakes in defending set pieces cost the team a goal. However, we still did a lot of good things in the game."

Furthermore, in terms of head-to-head records, Liverpool have only managed 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses in their last 5 encounters with Crystal Palace, giving them no psychological advantage.

Andoni Iraola said, "Even though they changed managers, Crystal Palace has maintained a certain continuity in its tactical system. The overall formation is roughly the same, and the players are very familiar with the style of play that the team is trying to implement. They have players like Adam Walton, Daichi Kamada, Jeremy Pino, and Quinten Timber in midfield, and these midfielders are all technically very solid."

“The pitch at Selhurst Park isn’t very big, so it’s easy to feel the pressure from the opponent. A throw-in or a long pass can get the ball into the penalty area in the blink of an eye. So there will be a lot of attacking and defending situations in the penalty area during the game, and we have to perform well in both attack and defense.”

Image source: Internet