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Julian Speroni defends Crystal Palace fans over Pape Souare shirt incident

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni says he understands why teammate Pape Souare had his shirt thrown back at him by a fan after the 4-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Bristol City.

Palace, who sit bottom of the Premier League table, suffered their ninth loss in 12 games this season against Championship side City on Tuesday.

Following the defeat, Souare, making his second appearance since spending a year out after suffering a broken leg in a car crash, threw his shirt towards Palace's away fans, only to see it chucked straight back at him.

"I understand the frustration because we are not picking up results and especially after a score like last night it is always tough for the fans," Speroni told Sky Sports News.

"And they show their emotions in different ways and we have to respect that. I know Papa, I know he did it with the best intentions and he's a great guy.

"But we have to understand the frustrations of the fans in the heat of the moment. We can't blame anyone for doing something, it's a reaction.

"We need to make sure we are together as a unit. That's the only way you can get out of trouble when you're in these kind of situations."