The Premier League Matchday 16 was full of entertainment, with Sunday evening being no exception. In one of the most recent clashes, Brighton and Hove Albion endured a disappointing 1-3 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace at Falmer Stadium. Of course, this wasn’t the score line that the Seagulls were expecting, especially Fabian Hurzeler, who has urged his side to ‘improve.’

Not only did the attack seem off but the defense looked quite lost, as the home side gave away goals very easily. That was quite a surprising display considering Hurzeler saw his side step into the game with a strong foot. “I think we had a good start in the game,” began the 31-year-old German-American manager while giving the post-match reaction of the game.

“We had a big chance… Then the goals we concede are too simple, too easy. One was a set piece, the other one was individual mistakes and like this, you can’t defend and you can’t concede these easy goals. Then, of course, it’s difficult to turn behind when you are 2-0 down,” reflected Hurzeler, questioning his team’s poor display.

Notably, during the 27th minute, a flying corner saw the whole of Brighton’s defensive line entangled while marking Palace players. The chaos inside the 6-yard box created a wide-open space near the left post, allowing Trevoh Chalobah to smash the ball into the net while slipping and opening the scoring. But before Brighton could even think of getting back on their feet, the away side struck again in the 33rd minute.

A quickly taken center-half free kick from Maxence Lacroix landed near his teammate Tyrick Mitchell. Though Albion’s Tariq Lamptey jumped high in an attempt to make the necessary clearance, Mitchell managed to get the ball, delivering a beautiful cross near the left post that allowed Ismaila Sarr to score a bullet header and double the Eagles’ lead.

Hope remained in the second half for a remarkable comeback but that didn’t seem to be on the cards for Brighton today as they struggle to make a breakthrough, something that Hurzeler vocally shared.

More from Fabian Hurzeler on Brighton’s ‘tough’ loss vs Crystal Palace

The 33-year-old tactician had more talking points in the remaining 45 minutes, where they were expected to bounce back. “We showed a good reaction in the second half. We had some big chances where we didn’t find the momentum fast and then the game is getting more and more difficult because they’re getting more and more compact,” added Hurzeler.

Kaoru Mitoma, Lewis Dunk, and Julio Enciso had brilliant chances to level things up, but Lacroix and Dean Henderson stood their ground to deny the potential equalizers. Even Brajan Gruda came close to scoring from a free-kick, but the ball floated just above the bar via a deflection. Instead, things went further downhill for Brighton as they conceded their third of the night.

In the 82nd minute, Will Hughes’ header found Eddie Nketiah, who made a loose ball pass between Brighton’s center-back pair with his head to set up Ismaila Sarr. Sarr controlled the bouncing ball with his head and sprinted towards the goal, neatly tucking it behind Bart Verbruggen. Of course, the home side wouldn’t have settled for less than a consolation, and the left post saw Lacroix’s clearance deflect off his teammate Marc Guéhi, landing in their own net.

The final whistle blew as Brighton players and fans went home with their heads down. “In the end, it’s very disappointing and it’s tough but we have to learn from these things and have to improve,” concluded Fabian Hurzeler.