Crystal Palace missed a huge chance to earn themselves more Premier League points on Saturday, losing in the last minute against newly promoted Ipswich Town. A bright start was undone when Axel Disasi got himself sent off after a late challenge on Jack Clarke. 

Despite a highly spirited second half which saw Palace equalise late on, a 90th minute goal from Zian Flemming on his Ipswich debut secured all three points for the Tractor Boys. 

The loss means that Palace have suffered defeat in three of their opening four Premier League games, as Pierre Sage continues to implement his playing style on the squad. 

There were a handful of bright performances within the Palace side, but some had games to forget. 

Despite conceding three goals, Benítez made three strong saves. His ball playing saw Palace move the ball well out from the back, completing 100% of passes inside Palace’s half. With Dean Henderson set to be out until the international break, the Argentine ‘keeper will have the chance to impress against both Lech Poznan and Leeds United over the next week. 

Questions could be raised over his positioning for the Ipswich winner, but it looked as if he was attempting to shepherd the ball out of play until it rebounded off the post, a truly unfortunate moment. 

The Israeli has settled into Premier League football exceptionally, and was well deserving of his first goal for the club. An excellent strike off his right foot drilled into the bottom left corner to open the scoring. The biggest compliment that can be paid to Khalaili is that it doesn’t appear as if Palace are missing the attributes of Daniel Muñoz. 

He came close to finding what could have been a late winner when he volleyed over the bar after an excellent cross from Will Hughes, but he was unable to keep his attempt down. 

There were moments where he lost concentration defensively, and he stepped away from Leif Davies for Ipswich’s second just before halftime, and those moments need to be eradicated from his game, but it was another impressive performance. 

Richards survived Sage’s defensive overhaul despite a run of poor performances so far this season, and put in a relatively average performance in this game. He made a couple of great last man tackles, and was part of the extraordinarily stubborn defensive effort in the second half. 

That work almost earned a point for Palace, but for Ipswich’s late winner. Whilst Richards has struggled settling in to the new system and the demands on him, this performance was an improvement on recent weeks. 

West Ham fans did warn that Disasi is prone to a moment of madness, and Palace witnessed that first hand on Saturday. Not only did a lapse of concentration see him stop playing expecting an offside in the buildup to Ipswich’s first goal, he failed to jump as the cross came in, leaving Emersonn unmarked in the centre of the box. 

Just ten minutes later, Disasi flew out from the back and raked his studs down Jack Clarke’s knee, earning himself a straight red and putting Palace completely on the backfoot. 

Despite the score being level at the time, Palace were in control of the game, and would likely have gone on to earn at least one point comfortably. Disasi let his side down, and will not be available until after the international break, but can feature in the Europa League on Thursday. 

After his superb debut display in midweek against Middlesbrough, Ahanor rightfully earnt his Premier League debut. He’s making a good case to become one of Palace’s consistent starters in the backline, and has been one of the more consistent performers across the last two games. 

His defensive ability is clear to see, and despite his age he consistently makes the right decisions both on and off the ball. Where he also excels, and likely why Sage rates him so highly, is his ability to progress the ball. 

His passing ability has stood out, but also his ability to drive forwards with the ball at his feet, creating great chances for his teammates. 

On a rare day where Mitchell had an under par performance, the left back struggled to contain Abdul Fatawu. He didn’t win a single ground duel and made just one tackle throughout his 77 minutes on the pitch. 

The red card undoubtedly meant that Mitchell had to be more reserved in the second half, and wasn’t able to get forward and influence the game in the way he has in recent weeks, most notably at Fulham. 

On a day when Wharton was made captain in Henderson’s absence, the midfielder had one of his worst games in a Palace shirt. He struggled to control the game in his usual manner, and wasn’t finding the same incisive passes that he usually does. 

He wasn’t necessarily bad, but his lack of impact and influence on the game meant he went missing for large parts, and therefore failed to put in a performance typical of himself. The new system does appear to be demanding certain things that aren’t particularly strong points of Wharton’s game, and he needs to re-establish the same level of control which saw him thrive at the end of last season. 

It’s taken little time for Timber to settle into Sage’s system, and his performance in this game was his best in a Palace shirt to date. The energy and physicality that he possesses are perfect attributes for the Premier League, and he worked relentlessly to make up for the one man disadvantage from the moment that Disasi was sent off. 

He won a mindblowing 13 ground duels, made six recoveries and also won 50% of his tackles. His ability with the ball is also a strong point, whether that be carrying the ball himself or keeping play moving with fast and accurate passes. 

If Timber continues to perform like this, he could become one of the best value for money signings Palace have made in recent years. 

It’s difficult to judge Pino’s performances entirely when he was sacrificed at the point of Disasi’s red card, and his contributions were limited before that point anyway. The way that the game was being played with fast-pace and lots of transitions, he could have been a strong influence in the time that he missed. 

Kamada misplaced just one pass in the 84 minutes he played, again featuring further forward as Sage continued to favour him ahead of the other options for the right-sided ten. 

His energy does aid Palace further forward, and his pressing during the second half was great to see. Tireless running and ground coverage, Kamada was playing a similar role to Timber in the second half, as he got his head down and worked hard for the side. 

Another strong performance from Strand Larsen as he continues to lead the line in Mateta’s absence. The outlet that he provides for Palace to hit is not only consistent but also becomes the trigger for lots of Palace’s attacking play. 

His finish for the equalising goal was potentially his best in a Palace shirt so far, and he occupied Issa Diop fantastically throughout the game. His tireless work showed when he had to be substituted, and whilst him coming off took away Palace’s outlet, there’s not much more he could have done considering how relentlessly he’d pressed. 

Tomiyasu has quietly been Palace’s best central defender this season, and should be in line to start both the game against Lech Poznan and Leeds if fitness allows. The natural leadership and calm that he brings to the side make the defensive efforts appear much clearer and less chaotic. 

His technical ability also continues to shine, and he added a level of control to a game which had opened up massively. 

Will Hughes - n/a

Ben Chilwell - n/a 

Zavier Gozo - n/a 

Jefferson Lerma - n/a