Reaction'A big step' - Andy Robertson and Freddie Woodman on Liverpool's win over Palace
The Reds made a significant stride towards securing qualification for next season’s Champions League by recording a third consecutive Premier League victory.
After Alexander Isak had put the hosts ahead at Anfield, Robertson added a second goal – moments on from Woodman making an outstanding save to thwart Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Palace pulled one back 18 minutes from time as Daniel Munoz lofted the ball into the empty net with Woodman down injured after he had made another excellent stop.
But Arne Slot’s side stood firm in the face of late pressure from the visitors and made sure of the three points with a Florian Wirtz finish in stoppage time.
Afterwards, Robertson and Woodman spoke to Sky Sports. Read their post-match reaction below.
You’re now level on points with Manchester United and Aston Villa in the table. Does that feel like a huge win?
Robertson: Yeah. Obviously our objectives this season have changed during the season due to our form and things like that, but I’ve said all along [that the] Champions League is so important to this football club and I think today we’ve made a big step.
You’re constantly trying to finish in the top five and things like that, but then obviously we knew Villa had dropped points early doors and we knew if we won we could go above them. So, we want to chase the people above us, of course we do, and we want make sure we secure Champions League. That’s so important for this football club and I think we’ve made a big step today.
You had an incredible individual moment by scoring the second goal – with a little help from Freddie, as well…
Robertson: A little help, yeah! I was actually going to run to him but then I thought, ‘It’s far too far away!’ So, I thought I’d just let him get the cheer off the Kop. It’s an unbelievable save [and] I thought he was outstanding today. We never doubted him.
People maybe looked at it before the game, our third-choice goalkeeper, maybe a bit inexperienced in the Premier League and things, but we had full confidence in him and I think when he needed to make saves, he made saves and when he needed to be good on the ball, he was good on a ball and that save set us on the way. I don’t know what happened to me – I turned into a striker for about five seconds! I was delighted to put it away. But yeah, it all started with him.
Freddie, that must have been great for you to watch after you’d made the save, and with making your full Premier League debut for Liverpool today?
Woodman: Yeah, it was an unbelievable moment for me. Coming to this club, I never thought I’d be able to play at Anfield in a Premier League game and that moment when Robbo scored was unbelievable for me. Since I came to the club, this man has helped me settle massively and seeing that ball hit the back of the net was brilliant, so I’m buzzing all round.
On the goal Palace pulled back, do you think the ball should have been put out of play with Freddie down injured?
Robertson: To be fair to the boy, I think I was the one closest to him, and I don’t think he looked up until he kind of hit the ball. I think he looked up when Woody was back on his feet and then he went back down. So, look, it’s one of the moments that in a game like this, I think you just hope that it doesn’t punish you because it could have done. We could have been obviously 2-2 [because] they had a big chance after it. I think maybe it was offside, but you just don’t want it to punish you.
I think when these things happen, you always want the right result to come and I think that’s the case. Obviously, we go and put the cherry on top and win 3-1. But it’s one of these things, I don’t think anyone’s to blame, I just think it’s part of football. But I’m glad we still got the three points.
What about that incident from your perspective, Freddie?
Woodman: The grass was really dry and my knee just got stuck in the ground. I felt pain in the inside of my knee. I was unsure what to do really, I didn’t know whether to get back up and try to hobble to the goal or stay down.
I think it’s a bit of an unclear moment in the game if the goalie does go down, I thought that naturally the game just stopped. But luckily, like Robbo said, it didn’t punish us in the end and we managed to get the goal at the end. Three points, it’s massive for this club with the rest of the season coming.