​The Eagles endured a torrid afternoon on the South Coast, which included being 3-0 down by the 10th minute. Diego Gomez’s goal from the halfway line was the pick of the bunch for the high-flying Seagulls, who continued their stunning start to the Premier League season.

​Sage criticised Palace’s start to the game, but also outlined that what went wrong was down to him to try and fix.

​ “It’s difficult to summarise because there are a lot of negative points. It’s difficult to call that a performance.

“We started really badly. It’s completely unacceptable to concede three goals in this kind of game after nine minutes.

“I prepare the team, so I’m responsible for what happened on the pitch. I have a lot of work to do because I need to change this kind of thing. I didn’t create the right conditions for the players to start well and get back into the game. The first person who needs to work on that is me.”

Sage also apologised to the fans after the performance, with many of those in the away end having left prior to the final whistle and admitted any decisions about the future were out of his control.

“I don’t know what will happen. I just want to apologise to the fans because it’s not normal for us to show this kind of performance when this club plays against that club.

“We were not at the level we expected, and I’m really sorry because I know how important this game is to the supporters. We didn’t show that it was important to us, either. I think we didn’t understand the context in which this game was being played.

“That’s not my decision. I will always give my best. When we lose, I’m really frustrated, but I always listen and try to change things.”

The Frenchman also admitted he felt ashamed by the lack of commitment that his side showed against the Seagulls.

“I think you can understand how difficult it is to be on the pitch after three minutes when you’re already losing 2–0, especially when you consider what we did or didn’t do on the pitch.

“Another feeling is shame; that’s what I felt after the game, and I felt it from the beginning because it’s not normal not to show the level of commitment that this kind of game requires.

“The players were in that situation, but minute by minute, they tried to play better. It was difficult because the opposition were really good today and were much better than us; they deserved the win.

“We weren’t able to compete today, and that’s a fact, but it’s not only about confidence; it’s also about how we start the game.”

​