Liverpool news: Van Dijk demands response as Iraola faces Palace test

Liverpool left Istanbul with nothing after a 3-2 Champions League loss to Fenerbahce, and Virgil van Dijk did not dress it up. "Everyone is disappointed — we cannot lose in that manner," the captain said, calling on his team-mates to channel the frustration into making the result an outlier rather than a pattern.

Trey Nyoni, who started in midfield, struck a similar note: Liverpool have to show they are a good team and bounce back quickly. The extended highlights and full replay are up on the club site if you want to sit through it again.

The concern is less the scoreline than the softness of the goals conceded, a theme that has followed the side through autumn.

If there was a positive in Istanbul, it was Nyoni. The teenager drew warm praise from journalist David Lynch, who called his performance "superb" and argued he is becoming an increasingly important figure in Andoni Iraola's midfield.

That rise comes with a selection headache: Nyoni's fitness is now a question mark ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, and Iraola must decide whether to risk him or reshuffle.

The manager has options — Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are all available — but Nyoni's energy has been hard to replicate. Palace away is exactly the sort of fixture where legs in midfield matter.

Ronald Araujo's unavailability has laid bare two of Liverpool's biggest problems, according to analysis from This Is Anfield: a mentality that wobbles when the press is beaten, and set-piece defending that has gone from strength to weakness.

The Uruguayan's physicality and aerial presence were supposed to be the fix, and his absence has left Virgil van Dijk covering more ground than a 35-year-old should. Iraola has used Joe Gomez, Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni in various combinations, but none has replicated Araujo's authority.

The Fenerbahce goals will have done nothing to quiet the debate.

Jamie Carragher has never been shy about telling Liverpool what he thinks, and this week he aimed at the squad's balance, arguing that the spending has left Iraola with a lopsided group.

He singled out two players as evidence of the problem, though the bigger issue may be the contracts: both Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk are out of contract at the end of the season.

Alisson's performance in Istanbul has prompted fresh questions about his consistency, with journalist David Lynch suggesting a difficult decision is coming in 2027. Van Dijk, for his part, remains the captain and the best defender at the club — letting either walk for nothing would be a serious statement.

Meanwhile, Liverpool hold a £47m option to make Ronald Araujo's loan from Barcelona permanent, and the player still has to agree; reports suggest talks are progressing well.

Liverpool travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League, and the club has confirmed the broadcast details, live audio commentary and highlights arrangements. The referee and full officiating team have also been announced. Liverpool will wear their home kit at Selhurst Park.

It is a fixture that has caused them problems in recent seasons, and after Wednesday's defeat it has taken on extra weight. Iraola's side need a response, and Palace away is not the easiest place to find one.

Voting is open for Liverpool's Goal of the Month for October, with the club asking supporters to pick their favourite. Away from the first team, Liverpool FC Legends will face Inter Legends at Anfield in March 2027, a fixture that will bring a few old faces back to Merseyside.

The FPL preview also turns its eye to Virgil van Dijk's double value, which tells you something about how the season is being framed: even the fantasy advice is leaning on defenders. Small distractions, maybe, but they are welcome after a week like this.