Pierre Sage Determined to Become a 'Better Manager' After Difficult Spell

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage is looking to get back to winning ways against Tottenham and believes the difficult spell he has been through will make him a better coach.

Sage is under serious pressure at the London club, who have endured a nightmare start to the season and sit 17th in the league with 7 points.

After losing their last two league games 5-0 to Brighton and 2-0 to Newcastle United, Palace gained some breathing space in midweek with a 1-0 win over Fulham that sent them into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Following the victory over Fulham, Sage described the Tottenham game as a "final" and believes he and his team will come back stronger from this difficult period.

"Maybe you'll think my answer is crazy, but I think this is an opportunity for me to become a better manager," the experienced coach said. "When you face difficulties and problems, you have to find solutions you couldn't foresee before. This is an opportunity to test my ideas, my methods and my ability to adapt. I know the most important thing is results. We have to change some things to show our potential on the pitch. In this process, I have to make the right decisions at the right time because the players need that. Every day I want to improve myself and help both the players and the team more."

Opponents Tottenham, meanwhile, have found very different momentum. Without a win in their first six games of the season, Tottenham have climbed to 14th place on the back of victories over Coventry City and Chelsea.

Tottenham received a boost with James Maddison, who sparked injury concerns in the Chelsea game, available to face Palace. The return of Dejan Kulusevski, who injured his knee against Palace in the 2024-25 season and spent 526 days on the sidelines, has also given the side a major lift.

"I know I can compete because I've worked very hard for it," Kulusevski said. "I'm not afraid. I put in the work for a year and my knee is very strong now."

Players to Watch

Tottenham – Mathys Tel Six of the eight goals Tottenham have scored in the Premier League this season have come in the final 15 minutes of matches. Spurs share top spot in the league in that regard, and Mathys Tel has been their late hero. The young forward found the net in the 87th minute against Chelsea and also led his team for touches in the opposition box (11) and chances created (2).

Crystal Palace – Jørgen Strand Larsen Norwegian striker Jørgen Strand Larsen has scored three goals in four Premier League appearances against Tottenham in his career.