In the one game where the minimum expectation is that the players show up and put in a fight, Crystal Palace did the opposite. Pierre Sage’s side travelled down to Brighton and rolled over, got their belly’s tickled and did nothing in return. 

A truly humiliating afternoon, not for the players, but for the fans who had to endure a further 92 minutes of being behind in a game of football, all whilst watching their arch rivals score three goals in ten minutes, royally take the mickey and go on to win by the biggest margin they ever have in this fixture. 

Brighton 5-0 Crystal Palace is not a scoreline which Palace fans will ever want to see, but after the performance at the Amex today, some will be pleased that number is as low as five. 

Despite this, it was the biggest win for Brighton in the fixture’s history, and only their third win in almost seven years, highlighting just how big of a moment in the rivalry this is. 

Quite literally from minute one it was brutally evident which side was winning this game, and after securing a last minute ticket in the away end, I instantly began to regret my decision to part ways with my sofa and head to the ground. 

Brighton were fantastic, and to be honest, they are fantastic. A well drilled, excellently coached side which has been built player by player through intelligent scouting and smart negotiations. In some ways, they’re everything you want your club to be, which is incredibly frustrating for Palace. 

Within two minutes, Anan Khalaili had slid across to challenge Pascal Groß, a challenge that he was never going to win. Of course, the foul was awarded, but Brighton didn’t even need to fight to find the opener. 

Groß, who is now 35-years-old, whipped in the free kick only for Jaydee Canvot, who was under no pressure at the front post, to head it straight into his own net. One of the most bizarre own goals you will see, and it set the tone. 

Heads dropped instantly, and it was almost as if the Palace players resided themselves to defeat. The Brighton players sensed this and put their foot on the gas, and it got ugly very fast. Adam Wharton was dispossessed in midfield as he attempted to juggle the ball over onrushing players, and Diego Gomez hit a worldie from his own half, which sailed through the air and lobbed Walter Benítez. 

From that point, the display that Palace put in was nothing short of disgraceful. No spirit, no fight, no desire to defend the badge or play for pride, they simply dropped their heads and let it happen. 

Brighton scored once more in the first half, before finding two further strikes in the second to seal a 5-0 win. 

The reality is that this result has been coming. Palace had been lucky to escape with victory at Craven Cottage, as too at Selhurst Park against Nottingham Forest a week prior. 

In Lyon, Palace’s poor first half was punished and costly, and in this game, they never got clicking. It was a truly dominating performance from the hosts. 

What was perhaps more frustrating than the result itself was the reaction from the players at full time. The fans had accepted defeat by the tenth minute, so the only demand was the players show a hint of passion and fight for the badge. 

They didn’t. They were lackluster, soft and well beaten. The fans that hadn’t left were well within their rights to make their feelings clear to the players. That result is a let down, it sets fans up for embarrassment and is unacceptable. 

However, the fans weren’t greeted by apologetic hand gestures. Chris Richards initially attempted to storm off straight down the tunnel, before Jørgen Strand Larsen stopped him and walked him over to the away support. 

Of the entire squad, only Hughes, Wharton and a handful of the substitutes, including teenage goalkeeper Lucca Benetton actually showed some respect to the fans. Jefferson Lerma was the most apologetic, standing alongside Paddy McCarthy for a good five minutes or so. 

The rest, including Sage, wandered over, gave a brief look of acknowledgement to the fans and walked straight off. After a performance like that, the very least the fans deserved was a visible apology. 

The pressure is well and truly on for Pierre Sage now, and whilst sacking him might not solve any of the actual issues, defeats at the Amex have been the catalyst for many dismissals in Palace’s history.