Dejan Lovren believes his response to an early error in Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Crystal Palace is characteristic of his side’s fighting spirit.
The Croatian handed Palace an equaliser with a skewed clearance in the first half, with James McArthur benefitting as he headed home the first of his two goals on the night.
But, admirably, Lovren went up the other end minutes later and powered an effort past Steve Mandanda to send the Reds back on their way to victory.
Emre Can had opened the scoring, with Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino also getting their names on the scoresheet as Liverpool made it 11 games unbeaten in all competitions.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side have a new-found grit to their game this season, and Lovren attested to this on Instagram after the game.
“There are good and bad days,” he said, evaluating his night at Selhurst Park.
“It is a part of football to [make] mistakes, to be honest I hate them!
“But it’s up to you if you’re ready to come back in the best possible way.
“And I AM…and the TEAM also. Thank you fans for your amazing support.”
Lovren has established himself as one of Klopp’s first-choice centre-backs this season alongside Matip, benefiting from Mamadou Sakho’s exile and starting each of his nine appearances so far.
His mistake in south London bore similarities to some of his previous outings in the No. 6 shirt for Liverpool.
But, as he suggested, his ability to bounce back is testimony to his improvement, taking responsibility and producing the performances required to secure victory.
This fighting spirit is fundamental to Klopp’s Liverpool side, and with another win on Saturday, they are riding high in the Premier League, level on points with leaders Manchester City.
A year ago, Lovren’s mistake would likely have undermined the Reds’ efforts, but now they are able to overcome these setbacks and prevail.
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