Pierre Sage apologises after 5-0 defeat to Brighton and admits he is under pressure

“I’m sorry,” Pierre Sage said after Crystal Palace’s defeat to Brighton, acknowledging that he knew his position was under threat. The loss, in Sunday’s Premier League matchday 7 fixture, ended 5-0. Crystal Palace conceded three times in the opening ten minutes, a start that quickly left Sage’s team in serious trouble.

It was Crystal Palace’s fourth defeat in seven league matches. The club sits 14th on 7 points, close to the relegation zone. Its league record also includes two wins and a draw, with 9 goals scored and 17 conceded. Across its last five Premier League matches, Crystal Palace has collected two wins, one draw and two defeats. The scale of the loss to Brighton could leave its mark, while Brighton moved temporarily into second place in the table.

Speaking at a press conference, Pierre Sage apologised to supporters, saying his team had not shown how much the match mattered to them. He acknowledged that they had failed to understand the context of the game. Some Crystal Palace supporters left the stadium before the final whistle. “I understand them and I can’t blame them,” the coach said, also accepting responsibility: “I’m responsible for this team and when it plays like today, that’s not normal, it’s my fault, I understand them.”

Sage said he intended to keep working to correct the problems, whether after a win or a defeat. “I don’t want to settle for the current level if we’re capable of doing better,” he stressed, adding that he would “always give my best”. The coach also admitted that the team had not shown how important the match was to them.

Brighton added to the score after the interval: Charalampos Kostoulas scored the fourth goal shortly after the restart, before Jack Hinshelwood completed the scoring six minutes from time. The defeat has increased the pressure on Pierre Sage, with Crystal Palace needing to respond after a particularly difficult outing.