Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admitted his side is "low on confidence" after another insipid performance resulted in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool took an early lead as — on just his second Premier League start for the club — Rickie Lambert picked up Adam Lallana's ball and slotted the ball past a diving Julian Speroni from the centre of the penalty box just 90 seconds in.
Palace struck back as Dwight Gayle, hero of Palace's 3-3 draw against Liverpool here last season, tapped the ball home with a close-range finish as Yannick Bolasie's rebound off the left upright fell at his feet 15 minutes later.
The hosts took the lead midway through the second half as Bolasie placed a pin-perfect cross into the box and Joe Ledley made no mistake sending the ball into the back of the net and returning captain Mile Jedinak curled a magnificent free-kick from just outside the 18-yard box over the wall and past Simon Mignolet moments later.
Rodgers's side last won in the league with a 3-2 triumph at QPR on October 19th and have collected just one point since. Goals have been in short supply this season for the Merseysiders since the departure of striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona.
“We’re low on confidence at the moment in terms of the results and I think that sort of tempo and intensity of our game has just dropped right off and obviously we concede poor goals but we have no one to blame but ourselves,” said Rodgers.
“As the manager I take full responsibility for that. We aim to be tighter and more resolute defensively. Obviously we get the goal - and a number of the games this season — we’ve led a goal in front, and that should be enough. We work on defending, we work very hard on being compact, but we never managed the game.
“We’ve got a lot of young players and players who are new to the club but we have to be better than that.”
Rodgers was pleased with Lambert’s efforts and told Sky Sports News HQ: “Well done to Rickie Lambert. He had a great movement, touch and finish to get his goal and I thought he did excellent today. He worked tirelessly up front and touch and movement, he worked very well.”
Jedinak was delighted as Crystal Palace returned to winning ways. Jedinak, who was suspended for their last match, a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United, told Sky Sports 1: “It’s massive. We needed that big time. We knew it was going to be a difficult game. We didn’t help ourselves by conceding so early on but I think the reaction from the boys after that was first class.
“Throughout, the boys up top, Yannick, Ledley, (Marouane) Chamakh, and (Jason Puncheon) Punch caused mayhem and we kept it tight at the back after the goal, so we’re ecstatic with that.”
As for the character Palace showed after going 1-0 down, Jedinak added: “We’ve been thrown different obstacles this season and to lose a goal so early, we could have just shot ourselves in the foot and put our heads down. But the way we reacted, the positivity, the fight, the willingness it was first class. And I can’t thank the boys enough for really digging in, in what was a tough game.”
