Pierre Sage takes responsibility and apologises to Palace fans after Brighton defeat

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage accepted responsibility for his team's 5-0 defeat at Brighton and apologised to supporters after a damaging afternoon against their rivals. In comments reported by BBC Sport, Sage said the performance had left him feeling ashamed. Asked whether he would be allowed time to improve Palace's form, he said he did not know.

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Palace conceded three goals inside the opening 10 minutes, leaving them with a substantial deficit almost immediately. BBC Sport reported that the eventual five-goal defeat was their heaviest against Brighton since January 1956. Sage pointed to the team's preparation and motivation as his responsibility, rather than distancing himself from the way the players had started the match.

The manager said there were numerous problems to address and acknowledged that Palace had fallen below the standard expected of them. His apology specifically recognised the importance of the fixture to supporters. Sage said the players had failed to demonstrate that same importance on the pitch, and accepted that changing performances of this kind would require considerable work.

The result left Palace 14th in the Premier League, with two victories from seven matches. Their defensive record was the poorest in the division, with 17 goals conceded. Across all competitions, Sage's first 10 games in charge have produced four wins, one draw and five defeats. Those figures frame a difficult opening period for a manager who only took over during the summer.

Sage arrived after leading Lens to the French Cup and second place in Ligue 1 last season. At Palace, he succeeded Oliver Glasner following a period of major success: the club won its first FA Cup in 2025 and added the Conference League trophy in May. Sage's comments about his position reflected uncertainty over the time he would receive, rather than an announcement about his future.

Palace next travel to Turkey to face Besiktas in the Europa League on Thursday, having won one and lost one of their opening two matches in that competition. Their next Premier League fixture is at home to Newcastle on Sunday, giving Sage two matches in the coming week after his public acceptance of responsibility.