Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool: Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Alisson star in entertaining affair

Andoni Iraola has been asked about the late penalty awarded to Crystal Palace that helped Eddie Nketiah ruin Alisson Becker’s clean sheet.

“I’m very upset at the penalties they are calling in our box that they are not calling in the other box. It’s head-to-head and Osorio to [Milos Kerkez]. There’s more to this.”

“I don’t need explanations. It is what it is. They make some mistakes. VAR, when they take a lot of time. One repetition, two repetitions, three repetitions, they are finding a reason not to call it back.”

For all of Iraola’s comments on the game, Florian Wirtz, Alisson Becker, and more, head here.

Thoughts on the game? “I always say the same thing about what we deserve and what we have. We started really well and created a lot of chances without scoring. It’s really difficult against this team because they have a lot of speed and are really efficient in transition. We tried to equalize but left too much space.”

You created so much and 3-1 is a bit cruel: “Football is about efficiency. If we create these chances, it’s a good step but the next step is to score. If not, you did nothing.”

“From the beginning of the season, the results are disappointing. I’m really frustrated especially for the fans and the players because I think we can do more and better.”

What happened on Liverpool’s goals? “The first one is a mistake. We lost the ball high and we didn’t fall on the side. They scored on the set pieces. The second and the third, it’s about transition and they are quicker than us. If we left too much space because we needed to come back in the game, they took advantage.”

What can you do to get back to winning ways? “It’s always the same thing. We have to continue our work. We have to be more efficient in what we do. I have to be close to the players to create atmosphere, confidence, and togetherness when we defend. We are not too far but we don’t have the reaction.”

Do you feel confidence from the board about your position as manager? “You have to ask them but in my position I am really focused on what I have to do. I analyze what happened and I try to change the things. The decision is not for me.”

Thoughts on the game? “Was good game from us. Really happy about the win. That’s all that counts.”

What was different today? “We were just efficient in front of the goal. We didn’t have so many clear chances. Maybe we did but it didn’t feel like we had so many big chances. Scoring three goals is always good and we defended quite well.”

Great timing of your goal: “Really important with their disallowed goal. It was good momentum for us to go into the break and it made the game a bit easier or more open for us. It was a good moment to score.”

Talk about your goal: “Was a great pass to Bradley into the space. The manager was talking so much to us to arrive in the box. There we were with three players in the box and luckily it came to me and I could score.”

So good away from home? “We are always confident because we know what a team we have and what quality we have. It doesn’t really matter if it’s away from home. For sure we need to get more points in the home games.”

The Reds strike late through Alexander Isak, who subs off for Lewis Koumas after bagging his seventh goal of the season — two behind Premier League leader Erling Haaland.

Palace get a penalty in stoppage time and Eddie Nketiah nails it to ruin the clean sheet of a fantastic Alisson Becker.

Jeremy Jacquet with a rare error and away go Palace.

Yeremy Pino doesn’t go first time and his touch allows Alisson to close him down and make a save.

The rebound is lashing back toward goal from quite some distance and Alisson is able to parry down and catch.

Eddie Nketiah soon gets into the box and gets muscled away from good contact by Ronald Araujo.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s return to Liverpool’s starting group has leapt off the pitch.

He’s created an almost-absurd six chances, nailing 8-of-14 crosses while chiming in with six recoveries in a complete performance.

Obviously the assist helps, too.

Trey Nyoni fills his space for the final 21 minutes, while Victor Munoz subs in for Barcola.

Liverpool attack down the right and two deserving players combine for the Reds’ second goal.

Barcola’s cross finds its way through everyone and Wirtz makes no mistakes with terrific technique to curl it home at the back of the box.

What a spectacular half.

Palace will feel unlucky to be down 1-0, with a 0.94 xG to Liverpool’s 0.78.

Liverpool have a 12-10 shot advantage, but Palace lead in shots on target with four. The brilliant Alisson has saved them all.

Liverpool have to find a way to deal with Palace out wide because the Reds are otherwise controlling the game in the middle.

Szoboszlai is a difference maker, and his set-piece service nearly cued up an Alexis Mac Allister goal earlier as the Liverpool man headed into side netting.

This time he shakes free of Quentin Timber, who had been quite good in this match and season, and turns his header across goal and inside the far post.

A huge cross from the left side finds a waiting Kamada.

The Japanese attacker takes it out of the air and lashes it toward goal.

It’s a tough angle so it has to be central but it’s spinning off venom and Alisson has to stay strong to block it with his right hand.

0-0, 39'

Yeremy Pino’s shot through traffic turns off Daichi Kamada and spins to the back post.

Jorgen Strand Larsen keeps his cool and pops it home, but the offside flag is up.

VAR easily confirms the decision.

Tyrick Mitchell finds Yeremy Pino inside the 18, and the Spaniard rescues a poor touch with a scything volley off the bar.

It rockets the other way and Palace send the ball back into the fray, a shot collected by Alisson.

Promising from both attacks over the first 20 minutes in South London.

Szoboszlai sends a huge cross to the back post and a leaping Cody Gakpo knocks it right back through the six.

It’s such an invitation but no Liverpool players have tracked the ball as it bounds a bout a foot past the far post.

Liverpool nearly found a break or a penalty as Bradley Barcola ran onto a neat popped pass over the back line and refused to be put off by a hand over his shoulder.

Palace went the other way and saw a cross lead to a vicious pass that Jorgen Strand Larsen nearly fought his way through traffic to push on goal.

Starting XI

Henderson

Mingueza
Richards
Disasi
Lerma
Mitchell
Wharton
Timber
Kamada
Pino
Strand Larsen

Subs: Benitez, Canvot, Khalaili, Doucoure, Hughes, Chilwell, Osorio, McNeil, Nketiah

Starting XI
Alisson
Kerkez
Van Dijk
Jacquet
Araujo
Szoboszlai
Mac Allister
Gakpo
Wirtz
Barcola
Isak

Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Tsimikas, Munoz, Nyoni, McConnell, Koumas, Ngumoha

Kick off time: 9am ET Sunday (November 8)
Venue: Selhurst Park — South London
TV Channel: NBCSN
Stream link: Watch live on Peacock

If you looked at Palace’s season outside of the Premier League, you’d be pretty impressed given the summer sales of Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz.

Palace fought through a red card to draw Hoffenheim in the Europa League at midweek, a week after sending Fulham out of the League Cup to reach the quarterfinals.

They’ve also drawn Besiktas away, smashed Lech Poznan at home, and staged a 3-2 thriller away to to Lyon.

The Premier League? Not-so-well. They’ve won just twice with a single draw to go with six losses.

Liverpool won the last meeting of these sides — a 3-1 winat Anfield in April — but that was a rare-enough moment in recent history.

Palace were 4-1-1 in the previous six meetings.

The Eagles do not have long-term historical dominance, though, as they’ve won just 18 of 70 meetings all-time with 14 draws.