You Can't Feel Sorry for Liverpool After Crystal Palace Draw, Says Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher has slammed Liverpool's defensive lapses and has admitted the players have themselves to blame after their 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace.

The Merseyside club were leading by three goals to nil when they conceding three quick goals in the final quarter of the game against the Eagles. Brendan Rodgers admitted that the Reds got carried away in the final moments of the game as they return to Anfield with a point from their trip to Selhurst Park.

Liverpool's failure to win against Palace has given Manchester City an edge in the title race. The Reds are on top of the table with 81 points from 37 games, leading second place City by a point. However, Manuel Pellegrini's side still have a game in hand.

"You look at Suarez and you think you feel sorry for him, but you can't feel sorry for Liverpool in that situation," Carragher told Sky Sports.

"That is not acceptable, for all the plaudits Liverpool have had in the last few months - and deservedly so as they have been the most outstanding team in the Premier League to watch and excited us all."

"But that has been their Achilles' heel all season. Even when they've been winning games it's been 4-3 or 6-3 or 3-2. We always felt the defence would come back and haunt them with the goals they've conceded," he added.

The former Liverpool defender criticised the manner in which Rodgers' side defended against the Eagles. He believes their poor defensive record this season will come back to haunt them.

"Tonight's the night, not so much the back four but as a team defensively the goals conceded have come back to haunt them," Anfield favourite said.

"The strikers normally get them out of jail and you could have argued if it had been 3-2 tonight and they'd hung on then the strikers - Sturridge and Suarez - would have got them out of jail again."

"You can't keep conceding goals at this level and expect to win big trophies. It's not acceptable the way they've finished that game in the last 20 minutes."

"It's a bit of a freak, of course it is, but we've been saying for months now that the defensive side of this team is not up to scratch and is not at the level of Premier League champions," Carragher concluded.