“We started with 11 players in the squad in the first team. We started with Tyrone Mings, Diego Carlos, they can play normally in the starting XI playing against [teams like] Bayern Munich. We started with Maatsen and Kosta, we signed them to be in the squad to play in matches like that. We started with McGinn, Kamara, Bailey, Jaden, Jhon Duran and Emi Buendia.

“Today was the match to start playing with Tyrone Mings and to start playing with Kamara. We played one week ago against Bologna in the Champions League. Last year as well we focused the season trying to be intelligent and trying to be strong. This year is the same.

"We are with our way, building the team and our structure. The structure is for all the season. Today we competed, but we lost. We competed with the idea that the players would get their performance. I am disappointed and frustrated, but if I repeated this match 100 times, I would play the same players.

"We want to get a trophy and it is an objective of mine here. Last season we played in the Conference League semi-final and got knocked out of two cups, but we got the most important objective, to get the Champions League.

"We are not getting our best performances every match, but we have to try and get it. The players tried to get their best and I have to accept the result and I have to try to understand how Palace achieved the result and how we didn’t.

"I am focusing trying to be intelligent, firstly with the players who are coming back after a long injury and also with players who need chances to play and get minutes and confidence.

"I have to analyse deeply how we can get better. Also things collectively and individually we can improve. Of course, we need minutes because at the beginning of the match, Mings was getting progressively better but it is normal that after over a year that needed time to feel comfortable. He finished tired, but feeling good.

"For Emi Buendia as well, he had good minutes but he will need more to get confidence to get his best performance. Kamara, he played more or less felling comfortable.

"Other players, Leon Bailey, he still has work to do to improve and get the same level as last year. Jaden needs to play to get confidence as well and John McGinn, today, he played as a midfielder and he played well.

"Maatsen played well. Kosta, it is good for him because he is young and he needs minutes today. Gauci as well. The performance collectively, we can only focus on it through the result.

"I was trying to get of them 90 minutes, but some players were a little tired. We brought on young players to replace them for fresh legs. They were getting a little bit tired and I think it was the good moment to change Emi and as well John McGinn after his injury one month ago.

Unai Emery post match.