Sage apologises after Palace concede three early goals in Brighton rout

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage apologised to supporters and accepted responsibility after his side lost 5-0 to Brighton on Sunday. According to BBC Sport, Palace conceded three goals inside the opening 10 minutes, suffering their heaviest defeat against their rivals since January 1956. Sage said his team's preparation and performance were his responsibility as coach.

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The defeat left Palace 14th in the Premier League with two victories from seven matches. Their total of 17 goals conceded was the highest in the division. Sage, who took charge in the summer, said the display fell short of expectations and acknowledged the importance of the fixture to supporters. Asked whether he would be given time to improve results, he said he did not know.

Brighton's early goals included an extraordinary effort from Diego Gomez, who spotted goalkeeper Walter Benitez away from his line and scored from near halfway. BBC Sport reported that the seventh-minute strike travelled 51 metres and put the hosts 2-0 ahead at the Amex. Benitez tried to recover but could not prevent the goal.

The result took Brighton to 16 points from seven matches and third place in the table. They had scored 23 league goals, four more than leaders Manchester City, with 10 different players contributing to that total. Their earlier Premier League wins included victories over Aston Villa, Coventry, Arsenal and Sunderland, underlining the breadth of their productive start.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler praised Gomez's awareness of the goalkeeper's position and the execution of his shot, while also identifying areas that still needed work. He pointed to misplaced straightforward passes and stressed that individual players could improve. He said the team did not practise attempts from 50 metres, despite recognising Gomez's finishing ability.

Palace now turn to a Europa League trip to Besiktas on Thursday before hosting Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday. They have one win and one defeat from their first two European matches. Sage arrived after guiding Lens to the French Cup and second place in Ligue 1.