Pierre Sage has rejected the idea that Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest was motivated by a desire to prove a point against former manager Oliver Glasner.
Glasner returned to Selhurst Park for the first time since leaving Palace at the end of last season to take charge of Forest. His team made the stronger start, with Dan Ndoye opening the scoring after only three minutes, but Palace turned the match around before half-time through Daichi Kamada and Jefferson Lerma.
Yeremy Pino added a third shortly before the hour mark, securing Sage’s first league win in charge and moving the Eagles up to 12th place with seven points. The result also ended Palace’s long wait for a Premier League victory over Forest, with the Eagles winning the fixture for the first time in 13 attempts.
Sage said the result should be viewed as part of Palace’s wider campaign rather than as revenge against Glasner. He also acknowledged the Austrian’s contribution to the squad, while stressing that the players deserved credit for their commitment despite defensive problems during the match.
Palace showed considerable resilience after falling behind and have now recovered six points from losing positions in the Premier League, more than any other team. Sage admitted that Forest created too many opportunities, particularly in one-on-one situations, but maintained that his players gave everything on the pitch.
Glasner described the contest as Forest’s best performance of the season despite the defeat, with the visitors creating eight big chances. However, Palace’s greater efficiency in front of goal ultimately secured a significant victory and extended Forest’s wait for an away league win at Selhurst Park, which dates back to December 2003.
