Andoni Iraola admitted Liverpool desperately needed their 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace following a disappointing week for the Reds.
Goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak secured a hard-fought win at Selhurst Park, helping Liverpool bounce back from consecutive defeats to Arsenal and Fenerbahce.
“We needed this win, definitely, especially after the defeat the other day in Turkey,” Iraola said. “This was another away game and we need to find ways to win in this kind of stadium. I’m very pleased for the three points.”
He noted the first half was open, with chances at both ends and a crucial save from Alisson. Going into the break 1-0 up proved important, after which Liverpool defended and controlled the game much better. With the lead, spaces opened up and attacking became easier.
Attention now turns to midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who suffered a knock on his first league start since returning from a hamstring injury. Iraola confirmed the Hungarian was not fully fit in the second half and will be carefully assessed before the international break.
“The last thing we need now is to lose players in the international games,” he said. “I hope we are in a better place in two weeks.”