Palace edge Forest as Sage admits his side rode their luck

Sage’s Palace win despite an uneven display

Crystal Palace claimed a 3-1 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest, but Pierre Sage conceded that his side had been fortunate during a difficult opening spell. Forest created a series of opportunities in the first 40 minutes, with Walter Benítez making several important saves.

“It’s not normal to concede as many chances as we conceded,” Sage said. He added that Palace needed greater consistency, while describing the result after the international break as a positive platform for their upcoming fixtures.

Defensive improvement needed

The win marked another occasion this season on which Palace have taken three points without producing their best performance. Axel Disasi was due to return from suspension after missing the Forest match, although he would be unavailable for the following weekend’s trip to face Brighton because of suspension.

Sage’s immediate challenge is to turn the result into more reliable defensive performances, with Palace also preparing for a Europa League reunion with Lyon.