Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage keeps job after 5-0 Brighton thrashing
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Crystal Palace lost 5-0 at Brighton, their heaviest defeat to their rivals since January 1956.
Sage is expected to stay for now, but the club's patience is being tested.
Background
Pierre Sage, a Frenchman, was appointed Crystal Palace manager in the summer after guiding Lens to the French Cup and second place in Ligue 1 last season. He has won four, drawn one and lost five of his 10 games in charge, and the 5-0 defeat at Brighton left Palace 14th in the Premier League with 17 goals conceded, the most in the top flight. Palace are rebuilding: under predecessor Oliver Glasner they won the FA Cup for the first time in 2025 and the Conference League in May, but they sold centre-back Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea after Marc Guehi left for Manchester City in January and brought in 11 new signings. Injuries to Chadi Riad and Takehiro Tomiyasu and Axel Disasi's three-match suspension have stopped Sage naming a consistent back three.
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026Crystal Palace lose 5-0 to Brighton at the Amex, their worst loss to their rivals since January 1956, conceding three times in the opening 10 minutes.
- Oct 18, 2026Palace sit 14th in the Premier League with two wins from seven games and 17 goals conceded, the most in the top flight.
- Oct 19, 2026Pierre Sage is set to be given more time as Palace manager despite the defeat and is expected to take charge of the Besiktas and Newcastle games.
- Oct 21, 2026Peta writes to Palace CEO Sharon Lacey asking the club to retire its live bald eagle mascot, Phoenix, with immediate effect.
- Oct 21, 2026ESPN reports Manchester United are monitoring Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of the January window.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Sage apologised to the fans and said the defeat was his fault: "It's my fault because I am the coach, I gave the motivation."
- Caution
- Asked whether he will get time to turn the form around, Sage said: "I don't know."
- Party
- Palace player Quinten Timber said the squad still feels bad but is "a new team with a new coach" that needs time, while admitting there is no real time to improve.
- Expert
- Peta argued a "bright stadium filled with boisterous fans is no place for animals" and asked Palace to stop using the eagle in pre-match displays and never use live animal mascots again.
Still unverified
ESPN's report that Manchester United are monitoring Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta is a TEAMtalk transfer rumor; Mateta's deal expires in 2027 and Sarr, under contract to 2029, is weighing a new Palace offer amid interest. Sage's position remains under significant scrutiny, with reports that another heavy defeat in Turkey could force the club to review its stance.