Crystal Palace players clash with fans after 4-1 Brighton loss | OneFootball

Defender Joachim Andersen and other Crystal Palace players clashed with their side’s supporters following their humbling 4-1 defeat to arch-rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, with the travelling fanbase furious with the Eagles' on-field effort against the Seagulls.

Brighton eased to a rather easy afternoon of Premier League football after captain Lewis Dunk opened the scoring within three minutes, rising above his marker and emphatically heading home. Matters were made worse for the visitors as Jack Hinshelwood and Facundo Buonanotte scored in the 33rd and 34th minute, respectively, before Jean-Philippe Mateta grabbed a consolation in the 71st minute.

Joao Pedro’s neatly taken finish sealed all the spoils at the Amex Stadium with six minutes of normal time left to run on the clock. It all kicked off after referee Simon Hooper blew for full time as Andersen – front and centre of the action – confronted the angered Palace fans.

Joachim Andersen confronts angered Palace fans

Assistant manager forced to pull him away

As mentioned, concerning scenes arose from the away section of the ground as the Palace players – led by skipper Andersen, who assisted Mateta’s goal earlier in the game – went over to clap and thank their fans, but they were, as expected, met with a barrage of expletives from those in attendance.

Roy Hodgson’s side were second best against Roberto De Zerbi’s hardened outfit all afternoon – and the score line paints an accurate picture of the current feeling around Selhurst Park circles. Footage on social media has emerged showing Andersen arguing with the animated fans before being pulled away from the chaos by assistant manager Paddy McCarthy.

This is not the first time this season, however, that the 27-year-old defender had exchanged words with an enraged set of Palace supporters. After being put to the sword in a 5-0 drubbing against title-challenging Arsenal, the Dane showed his frustrations by seemingly issuing an X-rated pop in the direction of the fuming fans.

Roy Hodgson defends his side after protests

His position as boss is in danger

In a campaign where the common belief was that the Eagles would be pushing for a top half finish with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise spearheading the attack and Andersen and Marc Guehi shutting up shop at the back.

It has been anything but, however, with them currently sitting in 14th place – with 24 points – and run the serious risk of flirting with a potential relegation crisis come the end of the campaign. Hodgson, whose status as Palace boss is hanging heavily in the balance, was quick to defend his players after their humiliating loss on Saturday afternoon in his post-match interview.

Fans are continuing to turn on Hodgson, despite his affinity to the London outfit, with former Nottingham Forest being named by journalist Dean Jones as the ‘outstanding candidate’ to be his worthy successor in an interview with GIVEMESPORT. The common consensus is that the 76-year-old, who has taken charge of 199 Palace games across two stints, is on borrowed time.