Hodgson refuses to blame Sakho

The 'Eagles' lost the match 2-1, though manager Roy Hodgson has defended his centre-half over the incident. 

After the game, the former England boss said: "The ball is hit into a crowded area and the referee blew his whistle. We didn't have a clue what had happened at the time.

"Mamadou Sakho has no intention to elbow the player or use an elbow to stop the player getting to the ball.

"I can't deny that, when you see it on the television, he does catch the player and as a result the referee is quite within his rights to give the penalty. It's always frustrating losing to a needless free-kick given away [by Alexander Sorloth, just before the penalty], and then to a penalty.

"Especially after doing so well, first of all, to get over the shock start and wonder goal Brooks scored, and then get ourselves on to an even keel and on the front foot in the second half, showing a lot of initiative.

'We paid a high price for the mistakes we made. We end up with nothing to show for our efforts.

"[Sakho] feels aggrieved. We are used, in football, when you give a penalty away it's because you've deliberately stopped a player scoring a goal. But not with an unintentional collision."