Liverpool fans waiting to see Bradley Barcola explode into life will have to wait a little longer after another poor performance on Sunday afternoon.
The French forward simply has not got going since joining in a £123m deal from Paris Saint-Germain in August, leaving supporters frustrated by his laidback manner and sloppy finishing.
Both were on show again during the clash against Crystal Palace.Barcola‘s worst moment came midway through the first half, when he blazed a volley high over the bar after being picked out at the back post by Dominik Szoboszlai.
It was not the easiest chance for the 24-year-old, but a player of his supposed quality should have been doing much, much better. On the sideline, Andoni Iraola showed his frustration.
TalkingPointsA. Mac Allister scores for Liverpool 0-1 40’Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Selhurst Park on November 08, 2026 in London, England.peter.lynchFeatured commentThe man is in some form, what a player 🔥1 comment
Have your say →Barcola miss leaves Iraola in disbeliefLiverpool have struggled to create from open play all season long, which makes chances like the one Barcola missed absolutely key. Whenever they miss one, you never know when the Reds will create something else.
As he watched Szoboszlai’s ball coming over towards the back post, Barcola never looked comfortable, though, and it will have been a surprise to nobody to see him lean back and pummel the ball over the bar.
As BBC Sport journalist Aadam Patel noted, Szoboszlai was disappointed with the finish, while Iraola put his head in his hands in a telling reaction.“You can see the frustration on Dominik Szoboszlai,” Patel reported.“He’s put in some wonderful deliveries and could easily have had two assists by now.
Andoni Iraola has his head in his hands too. It’s such a poor strike from Bradley Barcola.”Things took a turn for the better for both Szoboszlai and Barcola later in the game, with both players picking up assists.
The Hungarian finally had one of his deliveries profited from as Alexis Mac Allister nodded home from a free-kick, before Barcola finally showed some quality, sprinting down the right to centre for Florian Wirtz, who finished well.
Although it was a good moment for the No. 29, there were just not enough of them throughout the game. Assists are nice, but goals are what he will ultimately be judged on, and after nine Premier League matches, Barcola is still waiting for one
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