Brighton vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium - Sunday, 2pm

Pierre Sage has revealed his education in Crystal Palace’s rivalry with Brighton started the day he arrived in south London.

Sage will get his first taste on Sunday when the Eagles travel to the Amex Stadium, hoping for a better outing than Thursday’s Europa League loss at his former club Lyon.

The Eagles have lately struggled for consistency and suffered slow starts, but last weekend managed a comeback against Nottingham Forest to secure a first home Premier League victory under the Frenchman.

Brighton rivalry is ‘special’

“The first day I came here, the first thing they told me is that, and the last days I have read a lot of articles about the rivalry,” Sage said.

“I understand why, and you know it’s something special, and when it’s something special you have to do a special game. You have to keep in mind that this team has strengths, this team has weaknesses too.

“We have to be really smart in the way we build our way of playing and our game plan for this game, because we have to be not only in a rivalry game but in a smart game.”

Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ben Chilwell, Dean Henderson and Takehiro Tomiyasu all face late fitness tests ahead of the Brighton trip after missing the Lyon defeat.

Sage added: “I just saw the starting XI of (the last Brighton) game. Some of our players, starting XI this year, were substituted last year. And I think they have to take a personal revenge for that.”