Roy Hodgson refused to blame 39-year-old goalkeeper Julian Speroni for his error during Crystal Palace's 4-3 loss to Liverpool.
The veteran goalkeeper, on his first start since December 2017, gifted Liverpool a third goal by fumbling a cross to allow Mohamed Salah to volley home.
Palace had earlier taken the lead and, before Speroni's mistake, had restored parity at 2-2 only to go on to lose 4-3 at Anfield.
"A goalkeeper comes back after not having played for a year and a bit (but) there aren't many better club servants than Julian Speroni at any football club in the world," he told reporters.
Hodgson described the goal as "the cruelty of football showing itself as its absolute most wicked."
He added: "There aren't many better club servants than Julian Speroni at any football club in the world. For him to make that kind of mistake was really unfortunate and put Liverpool undeservedly back in the lead.
"We've got to consider ourselves hard done by in that respect.
