Crystal Palace

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace fan Ollie Thomas believes Pierre Sage should be sacked and replaced by Thomas Frank before someone else hires the former Brentford and Tottenham boss.

Reflecting on the defeat to Newcastle, Ollie said: "Another sad day at Selhurst Park and another 20 minutes of utter defensive implosion has cost us.

"I think it's more evidence Pierre Sage needs to go.

"I like him as a manager and he's someone I wanted to get behind.

"When a manager plays exciting, attacking football, you're more inclined to want it to work because you're ultimately being entertained. We've played some really good football at times and our games have been entertaining, but the way we set up is not Premier League ready.

"Sage can point to a lot of issues, like the personnel in defence and the recruitment over the summer, but we should not be conceding two goals a game.

"It's costing us every game and that's on the manager. I don't see a world where our performances across 90 minutes change unless we sack Sage.

"There are some good managers available, Thomas Frank in particular is someone I would love at Palace.

"The first team to sack their manager near the bottom of the league will get Frank and they will stay up. That has to be us.

"So it's a shame, but I think Sage's time is up."

Do you agree that Sage's tenure at Palace is near the end? Or do you think he deserves more time? And if Sage isn't the right man, is Thomas Frank?

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Newcastle.

Here are some of your comments:

Crystal Palace fans

Ken: I would like to say that Palace competed well against a very good Newcastle team, but the truth is we struggled to create anything near decent football against a pretty standard side. Embarrassing really.

Rob: The same old problems, our defence just can't manage to concentrate for a full 90 mins and we open up for opponents to score. So frustrating as we were the better team in the first half. Then after the restart our defence goes to sleep.

Keith: The team are definitely getting better after all the changes and outgoing transfers. I saw a lot of good things in the match and I am sure things will improve soon.

Lee: Poor second half, we can't defend for toffee and have no leaders. Adam Wharton isn't a captain, and players like Tyrick Mitchell, Daichi Kamada and Chris Richards are a shadow of themselves and look bereft of confidence. I can't see Pierre Sage lasting unfortunately. He's been hung out to dry by lack of investment and ambition from Steve Parish and the board, and inept player recruitment from Matt Hobbs. Both have to go if Sage does.

Newcastle fans

Samuel: A much needed win. It goes without saying that Palace have been pretty poor this season. The first half lacked a lot of quality from our side, however, the team seemed to come out with a bit more fighting spirit in the second. It's always good to see Will Osula score, the lad has a lot of potential and without a doubt needs more game time from Matthias Jaissle.

Dean: Very much a game of two halves. I was not anticipating a win at any point in the first half as we struggled to gain any control on the game. Thankfully, neither did Palace. Second half we came out more aggressive, and got a hold of the game, creating several good chances. Dan Burn, Fabian Schar and Joelinton gave us that aggressive edge we've been missing, while Osula (even when not involved as much as he should be) is a threat going forward. A step in the right direction (I hope).

Richard: Well, the first half was truly awful but let's put it down to the swirling wind, shall we? Second half was basically 10 minutes of utterly turbocharged Toon blowing Palace away, and after that Palace very much looked like a team who'd played mid-week in Europe.

Simon: The first half was fairly poor with too few chances created and mistakes passing and keeping the ball. A much improved second half where we controlled the game, were defensively strong and created chances. Great assist from Jacob Murphy and it was unfortunate that Joe Willock's goal was just offside. A good performance which will give confidence, which hopefully will show in upcoming games.

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Pierre Sage struck a defiant tone during his post-match media conference as he addressed questions about his future for 20 minutes.

"I don't have to convince the people around the club. I just have to convince the players to do their best to compete and to continue to improve," he added when asked further about his job.

"After that, this kind of decision is for the chairman, to the owners, this kind of person.

"For me, the noise around the team, the noise around the club, it's only noise."

Crystal Palace have just seven points from their first eight league games in the post-Glasner era.

After losing to Everton and Manchester City in their first two matches, Palace won at Fulham before losing at home to newly promoted Ipswich.

They secured a rare clean sheet in a goalless draw at Leeds before coming from behind to beat Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park on 11 October.

That was their last win.

They have since lost at his former club Lyon in the Europa League, and Brighton, before drawing 2-2 against Besiktas in Istanbul on Thursday.

However, patience is clearly wearing thin after fans reacted to the latest defeat by Newcastle.

In addition, Palace have the worst defensive record in the Premier League after conceding 19 goals in eight games.

Their next Premier League match is at improving Tottenham next Saturday, before hosting Liverpool on 8 November going into the international break.

Palace's first game back is at fellow strugglers Coventry City on 21 November.

Will Sage still be in charge by then?

French football expert Julien Laurens said Sage needed to be more ruthless.

"He's a lovely guy. He's maybe a little bit too nice at times," Laurens, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, added.

"Remember when Crystal Palace beat Fulham earlier in the season? That was Palace's first win of the season and he felt sorry for Fulham.

"You don't feel sorry in this league. This Premier League is ruthless. It's the top, top level. This is the best league in the world.

"You can't feel sorry for the opposition you have just beaten, especially when this is your first win and you needed it badly.

"But this is the kind of guy that he is."

Read more here

Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage on full-time boos after defeat against Newcastle: "The boos are normal because we don't have the result. The noise is the consequence of the result of the team, and at the moment we don't have what we expect.

"Inside, we are just really focused on solutions. How to be better, how to create the conditions to compete, and we will continue our work, and there's no noise inside, if you want.

"It's normal that people lose patience when you lose, because everybody wants to win. Today it was not the case.

"I don't have to convince the people around the club. I just have to convince the players to do their best to compete and to continue to improve.

"After that, this kind of decision is for the chairman, to the owners, this kind of person.

"For me, the noise around the team, the noise around the club, it's only noise."

Sage revealed he did speak to Palace chairman Steve Parish this week, but not about his employment, just "today's game, the condition of the team, and how we built our game-plan to compete today".

He added: "But we didn't speak about the subject you're speaking about."

Pressed as to whether he believes the players and Palace hierarchy still have faith in him to turn things around, Sage replied: "I think (so). The question is 'Do you think?' and my reply is yes, I think."

Did you know?

Crystal Palace have conceded 50 Premier League goals in 2026, the most of any Premier League club and already six more than the Eagles conceded in the whole of 2025 (44), despite still having 10 league matches left to play this calendar year.

Former Watford, Burnley, Everton and Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche is the frontrunner for the Crystal Palace job if the Eagles sack manager Pierre Sage. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Ex-Brentford boss Thomas Frank and former Wolves manager Vitor Pereira might also be in the running along with former Ferencvaros boss Robbie Keane. (Talksport), external

Manchester United are targeting a move for 24-year-old Everton and England defender Jarrad Branthwaite as they aim to make big changes to their defence. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace actually started this game well but it was the same familiar outcome after failing to make their dominance count.

They are 17th in the table on seven points from eight games, while they have now conceded 12 goals in their past four league and European matches.

The new manager always had big shoes to fill following the departure of Oliver Glasner, who delivered an FA Cup, Conference League title and Community Shield.

There were boos at the full-time whistle and it remains to be seen how much time Palace will give the former Lens boss, with this result coming a week after the humiliating 5-0 defeat at fierce rivals Brighton.

Palace have two away London derbies next - at Fulham in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, and at improving Tottenham on Saturday.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Crystal Palace's performance

What did you make of Newcastle's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Newcastle

• Hull City v Brentford

• Liverpool v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Manchester United v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Sunderland v Leeds (16:30)- listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Brighton" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Sunderland match", for example.

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

Image source, BBC Sport

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage's future appears to be in some doubt but his critics seem to have forgotten that they are 14th in the table, when the Eagles finished 15th last season under Oliver Glasner.

Yes, Palace had a heavy defeat at Brighton last week and it doesn't help it was at the hands of their big rivals, but it is not like Sage has got one point from his first seven games. They are leaking a few goals, but there are reasons for that.

There has been huge change at Selhurst Park in recent months, with some key players leaving, especially at the back. Others have stayed but are still unhappy, and Sage has had a lot to contend with.

Palace played in Turkey on Thursday night, which won't have helped their preparation for this game, but I still feel like they will get something against Newcastle.

There has been a lot of change at the Magpies too, but the thing that worries me most about Matthias Jaissle's side is that they are so open.

"Chaotic" was the word I used to describe them against Aston Villa last week.

Villa are always very well structured in the way they play but they got chances against Newcastle just by persevering with their build-up play.

If Newcastle don't get their press quite right again here, then Palace will cause them problems too - I definitely don't see this game as being one where defences are on top.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Crystal Palace and Newcastle United face off at Selhurst Park on Sunday in a battle between two teams who concede too many goals.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes going into their meeting in south London.

The comprehensive nature of Crystal Palace's 5-0 loss at Brighton last weekend was such that manager Pierre Sage subsequently said he felt shamed by the performance when issuing a post-match apology to supporters.

Palace are not the first team to fall to Brighton's impressively fluid football this season, but conceding five goals on the south coast underlines a worrying early-season trend for the Eagles.

They have let in the most goals of any side so far, while 17 goals conceded after seven matches is their highest tally at this stage of a Premier League campaign.

Sage's side have shipped at least two goals in 11 of their past 13 league outings and have faced the most shots (125) and most shots on target (43) of any top-flight team this season.

Palace also have the highest expected goals total against (14.8) in 2026-27, evidencing the quality of chances opposition sides have been able to create.

The key question for Sage is how best to address defensive deficiencies. He opted to award 18-year-old centre-back Honest Ahanor, on loan from Atalanta, a second Premier League start at Amex Stadium, but he was substituted after 53 minutes.

Axel Disasi replaced Ahanor for the Europa League fixture at Besiktas on Thursday night and while Palace's overall performance was much improved, they still conceded two goals and could not find a winner against 10 men.

First-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson could feature for the first time since the 3-2 win at Fulham on 5 September after returning to training on Monday, but collective improvement will surely be needed if Palace are to follow up the 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest with another home victory.

Newcastle United have defensive issues of their own to address, having conceded four goals in each of their past two away matches during defeats at Leeds United and Coventry City. The Magpies have not done so in three successive away matches in 97 years.

Newcastle have lost three of their past four league matches, including a 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa at St James' Park last weekend when they also laboured in front of goal, recording 16 attempts but only one shot on target.

Yoane Wissa had seven shots without hitting the target against Unai Emery's side in another frustrating individual performance.

The DR Congo international has scored one goal from 18 shots so far this season, at a conversion rate of just 5.56%. Of all Premier League players to have found the net at least once, only two have a lower shot conversion rate than Wissa.

And Newcastle also have to contend with a poor record at Selhurst Park. They have won only one of their past 11 league matches at Palace (D6, L4), a 2-0 victory under Steve Bruce six years ago.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Thursday's draw with Besiktas in the Europa League.

Here are some of your comments:

Keith: Decent performance. Better finishing (and monitoring of the offside line) in the first half would have led to a comfortable win. Two missed tackles on their second was costly.

Bob: I thought Palace deserved better than the hard-fought 2-2 draw in Turkey. We should also have had a penalty awarded when Kamada was fouled inside the box. This was a hostile crowd, but Palace held their nerve and Sage can be proud of his team. Let's hope we can put on the same spirit against Newcastle on Sunday.

Phil: Still need to stop conceding. To score twice is encouraging but some clean sheets are needed.

Dave: Best performance by far this season (albeit against a poor side). Canvot on the left of defence and Pino really good. Mateta was outstanding up front and Wharton looked full of confidence. If this continues against Newcastle, Sage keeps his job.

Andy: Well done, Sage. Change has been seen this season and with the two leaders of the back three being sold last January and in the summer window and not replaced, it shows you still have the backing of the players. Great improvement from Sunday. After Brighton's free-flowing goals it was good to see we can defend.

Adrian: One of those games where, for some of the time, we couldn't finish and the defence went to sleep. Otherwise, we'd have won by several goals - plus, we were also up against the referee.

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage speaking to TNT Sports: "[I am happy] with the performance now, with the result we deserve better.

"We have to remember the situation before the game, the performance was worse on Sunday, we made a good step and now to go forward and win against Newcastle on Sunday."

On Jean-Philippe Mateta's goal: "I am really happy for him. It's a good moment for him, just before coming out, he was not really ready to play, you could then see he was tired but when you have this mindset and give your life on the pitch it is good for you.

"We have a lot of satisfaction in individual performances and I have to underline the team performance, too.

"At the end, we made a good game without the result we deserved."

Did you know?

• Since his debut for Crystal Palace in February 2021, Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored 63 goals in all competitions for the club, 26 more than any other player (Eberechi Eze is next on 37).

• The Eagles have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 games on the road in all competitions, shipping a total of 33 goals in that time.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page on Friday to find a selection of your replies.

There are 18 games in both the Europa League and the Conference League on Thursday - with Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Sunderland involved in the former, and Brighton the latter - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Jablonev v Brighton (17:45)

• Lech Poznan v Sunderland (17:45)

• Besiktas v Crystal Palace

• Bournemouth v AC Milan

Kick-off times 20:00 BST unless stated. See the fixture list in full here

Follow all of the action and reaction here

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

Image source, BBC Sport

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Woosnam from The Athletic, speaking to BBC Radio London about Pierre Sage's struggles defensively as Crystal Palace boss: "There definitely needs to be an acceptance that Sage hasn't had a lot of time to be able to implement his style, but there doesn't appear to be any organisation or structure.

"You look at the way they defend and its not just the centre-backs - it's the whole team that isn't defending well. It's before it gets to them that it's a problem as well.

"Sage talks about the best way to defend being winning the ball, keeping the ball, and playing high - but Palace are 17th in the Premier League for the amount of possession they've had. They are not keeping the ball.

"They are also not playing in a low block which he has talked about, so his way of playing isn't working at the moment. He has had a lot to deal with, but I just don't see what is going on with their defence - and that isn't just because they have lost Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix."

Listen to the full discussion below or on BBC Sounds here

A humiliating defeat at the weekend has lead to pressure mounting on Pierre Sage, and serious questions being raised about his future with Crystal Palace.

Eagles fan Ollie Thomas breaks down what went wrong at Brighton, why the defensive issues run deeper than injuries, and the tactical changes that could save Palace's season.

"The 5-0 result against Crystal Palace has been coming.

"What happened against Palace was the chickens came home to roost. All the chances we have got away with against Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Ipswich, Lyon, it all evened itself out on Sunday.

"What a terrible time for that to happen. I think this will instigate change at Palace.

"That doesn't mean in the dugout, but in the way we play, the way we set up and the personnel.

"Do I think Sage is going to keep his job at Palace? No, I don't.

"Are we delaying the inevitable? Yes. It is difficult to escape the reality that we look awful defensively.

"We are statistically the worst defensive team in the Premier League by a mile. If you defend how we have defended, you are going to be down there by the end of the season.

"Of course we were going to suffer this season. I firmly believe you could put Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi in that starting XI, and we would still concede as many chances.

"The options at the back are not good. Axel Disasi's red card amplified those issues and a lot of Palace fans have made their minds up on Disasi.

"He is going to have to be a cornerstone of our defence this season. I don't see the point of us turning our backs on him.

"I think you can confidently say our defensive issues are not down to Disasi.

"Disasi being back will offer more options for Sage, which is consistency in the backline."

Listen to more from Ollie by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

George Booth
BBC Sport journalist

Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League game against Besiktas at Tupras Stadyumu (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Sage confirmed Ben Chilwell has returned to the matchday squad after missing five games through injury but midfielder Quinten Timber is ruled out.

• Although goalkeeper Dean Henderson returned to training on Monday, he will not be part of the squad to face Besiktas.

• Sage also added that Takehiro Tomiyasu is "out until the next international break" as the 27-year-old "has another injury".

• In the same news conference, experienced left-back Tyrick Mitchell urged Palace to "get back to basics", such as "being more aggressive".

• Sage added: "We have different problems, and sometimes we resolve one, and then you create a new one. That's why we have to be better in each side of the play, and to be more consistent in what we do, in what we believe, in what we are stable in."

• On the 5-0 Brighton defeat, Sage said: "Sometimes we have to switch quickly, and it's the case this time. It was a tough defeat in a context, you know, and we have to forget this quickly, because now we have to show our real face in a big atmosphere."

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace have come under fire from an animal rights group as they urge the club to retire their live bald eagle mascot with immediate effect.

In a letter to Palace CEO Sharon Lacey, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) asked the Premier League club to stop using the eagle, named Phoenix, in pre-match displays at Selhurst Park and to never use live animal mascots again.

Peta says birds can become "frightened, disoriented and panicked" in stadium environments, putting themselves and fans at risk.

Using them for displays and entertainment also denies the animals, who "would naturally avoid humans", the opportunity to engage with their natural instincts, leading to "frustration and stress", the group said.

The London team, known as the Eagles since 1973, introduced a live eagle to matchdays in 2010. Kayla, who died in 2020, performed the role for 10 years and her replacement Phoenix made her debut against West Ham in August 2024.

Read more on the story

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel says Crystal Palace's second goal against Nottingham Forest should have been disallowed on the field for handball - but backed the video assistant referee's decision not to intervene.

The game was locked at 1-1 deep into first-half stoppage time when Jefferson Lerma appeared to nod the ball through the legs of Forest keeper Matz Sels.

However, it soon transpired that the ball had deflected off the elbow of team-mate Anan Khalail on its way into goal.

That meant the goal technically belonged to Khalail, who could not score a goal with his arm.

This was not picked up in the initial replays, only becoming clear during the half-time analysis on the television coverage.

Palace went on to win the game 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

The Premier League's KMI Panel voted 3:2 that it was an on-field mistake by referee Peter Bankes, but it was unanimous that the VAR, Darren England, was right not to rule out the goal.

"On the balance of probability the ball is likely to have come into contact with Khalaili's arm," the KMI Panel said.

"The panel all supported the VAR's decision to not intervene on the basis that the footage readily available to the VAR doesn't show conclusive evidence of a handball."

It will sting for Forest as they had a Neco Williams goal ruled out for handball in their 0-0 draw with Tottenham through a VAR intervention.

Williams insisted after the game the ball did not touch his arm, but replays which later emerged appeared to prove it did. The KMI Panel unanimously supported the decision.

Bankes was on VAR duty for the disallowed goal against Spurs.