Liverpool travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon as they look to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to Arsenal
Liverpool will hope to get back to winning ways in the Premier League against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon. Andoni Iraola’s men travel to Selhurst Park following a controversial defeat against Arsenal at Anfield.
Alexander Isak was at the centre of a major debate at the weekend after he was denied what some considered a penalty against the Gunners. Jurrien Timber had a hold of his shirt in the box during a first-half incident and Iraola was adamant that it should’ve been a spot kick.
But when it wasn’t awarded, he claimed he would “definitely” tell Isak to go to ground in the future to ensure the decision was made. The Spanish coach will look to put these squabbles behind him, though, as his team faces the Eagles, who have lost their last three Premier League matches but have often proved a bogey team for the Reds.
And his squad could be buoyed by the suggestion that star midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, whose contract is up in 2028, might not be so close to leaving as previous reports had suggested. Mirror Football has the latest news coming out of Anfield.
Alexis Mac Allister transfer stance clear
Liverpool have reportedly not ruled out offering Mac Allister a new deal. The 27-year-old is now into the final two years of his contract at Anfield, which has led to much uncertainty surrounding his position. Mac Allister previously claimed he was expecting news of an extension and admitted to feeling “sadness” when it hadn’t come to fruition.
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When asked by Gaston Edul about the ongoing dilemma, the midfielder said: “Obviously, we’re in a situation where I have a year and a half left on my contract and last season I was told that the club’s idea was not to renew it, at least for now. And obviously, that was a painful, unpleasant situation.”
But now, The Athletic claims that Liverpool have not said no to a new deal for Mac Allister but are not planning to rush into offering him a contract extension. Mac Allister has made it clear he wants to stay at Anfield, adding: “The reality is that the manager has now changed, the sporting director has changed, and new investors are coming into the club.
“So I think I’m now in a position where anything can happen. We’ll see what happens in the future. I’ve always said that I’m very happy here, that I really enjoy it, and we’ll see.”
Premier League move wanted
Elsewhere, Rafa Benitez has admitted he would love a return to the dugout in the Premier League, 16 years on from his Liverpool departure. The Spaniard has not managed in England since he was sacked by Everton in 2022 and is now a member of the UEFA Technical Observer Group.
In this role, he helps the organisation write reports, analyse games and study tactical trends. But during a conversation with talkSPORT, Benitez admitted he’d like to return to management in England.
He explained: “You know that I’m working now for UEFA, but I’m watching games all the time, and especially the Premier League, because I want to know the players, I want to know their style. I could see the other day when I was watching Juventus vs Napoli, then I was watching Liverpool vs Arsenal, and you can see the difference.
“So I like the Premier League because of the intensity. Every game, every ball is a challenge. I think it’s fantastic. The problem is that you need to find the right project. Talking about projects in football now is quite complicated.”
When asked if he would prefer a project in the Premier League, Benitez replied: “Yeah, yeah, I would be happy with that, for sure.”
