Pierre Sage faces the chop after Palace’s 5-0 loss to Brighton

Pierre Sage, Crystal Palace’s manager, is under intense pressure after Sunday’s 5-0 defeat by Brighton. The French coach has managed just two wins in seven Premier League matches and the club have conceded 17 goals, the worst tally in the competition.

According to BBC Sport, there’s some behind-the-scenes sympathy at Selhurst Park, pointing to how hard the job has been. Injuries have hurt, and the absence of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr—linked to a mix of fitness issues and personal matters tied to both players’ desire to leave—has made the start of Sage’s reign even tougher.

A week that could decide it

Steve Parish, the club’s co-owner and chairman, is not known for impulsive decisions. He resisted acting when Oliver Glasner publicly criticised the board for “abandoning” the squad after the January sale of Marc Guéhi to Manchester City. Glasner finished his contract and added an FA Cup and Europa Conference League success.

Sage is not out of the woods: Crystal Palace have big games ahead, with a Europa League trip to Beşiktaş and a Premier League home match against Newcastle. Another couple of poor results could push Parish into a decision. The defensive fragility is also a central concern, with the club set to concede 92 goals this season and continuing worries around how the squad was rebuilt after departures like Guéhi, Lacroix and Munoz.