Why did the Liverpool head coach praise his team even after the defeat?

2 November 2026, 12:17·47·Sport

In one of the central matches of the 9th round of the English Premier League, Liverpool hosted London's Arsenal at home and lost 0-1. The fate of the intense encounter was decided by a single goal scored by Kai Havertz.

Despite the home defeat, Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola openly expressed his satisfaction after the game with the character his players showed, their intensity on the pitch, and their reaction to the conceded goal.

Quick mistake and shift in the game: Iraola's analysis

The Merseyside manager explained the flow of the game in detail, emphasizing that his charges deserved a goal for their performance:

"We are to blame for our mistakes": The head coach did not hide that the plan at the beginning of the match did not work out as expected: "Of course, we wanted to record a different result today. Especially for our mistakes at the beginning of the match, we are to blame ourselves";
Fearless and free play: After conceding the goal, the team switched to playing more openly: "After the goal, there was nothing left to defend, so we started playing more freely and courageously. In the first half, we turned the tide of the game in our favor and went into the break in a good mood";
Crossbar and missed opportunities: Speaking about the pressure in the second half, the coach noted that the team lacked luck: "We tried hard to equalize. Our shot even hit the crossbar, and there were enough chances. We undoubtedly deserved to score at least one goal".

"It's still the beginning of November — there is a big fight ahead"

Iraola reminded that a single defeat cannot be the final conclusion of the season, and the important thing is that the right style of play is forming in the team:

Many positive aspects: The specialist emphasized that there were significant aspects of the team's play that he liked and that it is necessary to maintain this intense tempo throughout the season;
The race continues: "The season has just begun. True, Arsenal is in a very comfortable position in the league table right now, but it is only the beginning of November. There are many matches full of struggles ahead", the Liverpool manager concluded.