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Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner says it would be "disrespectful" to suggest that Liverpool fielded a weakened side in the League Cup despite Arne Slot making 10 changes to his starting XI.
Milos Kerkez was the only player to keep his place in the team from the weekend's dismal defeat at Brentford. Liverpool lost 3-0 at Anfield on Wednesday and struggled to lay much of a glove on the visiting side.
Goals from Ismaila Sarr before half-time but Glasner's team well in the ascendancy. Amara Nallo was sent off a few minutes after coming on and then Yeremy Pino added a third goal late on.
"We saw Arne Slot's decision and it is disrespectful to all their players (to say it was a weak team)," Glasner said in his post-match press conference.
"I have seen Joe Gomez win the Champions League and the Premier League with them; I have seen Wataru Endo play a lot of games for Japan; I have seen Alexis Mac Allister, he won the World Cup with Argentina; I have seen Kerkez, who cost £40M; I have seen Federico Chiesa, who has played for Italy.
"I think it would be disrespectful if we say that. Everyone who wears this badge has quality."
While that is undoubtedly true, Liverpool did not perform well. It has now lost six out of its last seven games in all competitions.
"It is always a blow to lose a game of football, especially if it leads to going out of a competition," Slot said in his post-match press conference.
"But it is the same selection I did tonight as I did last season in rounds like this. There are many reasons, maybe, why we've lost six out of seven — none of them are good enough to accept losing so many.
"I can come up with arguments or reasons, but none of them will be enough to go to that standard because at Liverpool losing six out of seven is always too much."
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Next week, Liverpool plays Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City, before the November international break.
Liverpool.com says: While some viewed it as controversial that Slot made so many changes, it was the right decision. At some point, Liverpool had to rest its key stars, and this was the best time to do it.
Crystal Palace won comfortably but as long as Liverpool puts in a good performance in the big week that is coming up, it will be worthwhile. There is no more pressure on Slot now than there was before kick-off.
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