Sage gets wiser after difficult spell with Palace
Pierre Sage believes the adversity he is currently facing at Crystal Palace could make him a better coach, as it looks to get back to winning ways in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.
Sage remains under pressure after a poor start to the season, which sees Palace sitting 17th on the league table with only seven points.
It has lost its past two matches in the competition without scoring – a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of rival Brighton and Hove Albion and 2-0 loss to Newcastle United – but the Eagles earned a reprieve in midweek with a 1-0 victory over Fulham to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Sage is now hoping to build some momentum in the Premier League, likening the game against Spurs to a final after that win over Fulham, and he believes his side will come out stronger after what has been a tough run.
"Maybe you will think my answer is crazy, but I think it's an opportunity for me to become a better coach," he said ahead of the match.
"Faced with the difficulty, the problem, you have to find a solution I didn't anticipate. It's an opportunity to challenge my ideas, my way of doing [things], some adaptation.
"I know the most important thing is the results. We need to change things to become the team we're able to be. I have to take the good decisions at the good moment in this period because the player needs [me to].
"This situation is maybe a positive opportunity for me. Every day I want to improve and become a better coach and help the players and team to become better too."
Spurs, meanwhile, are on a different trajectory. After failing to win their first six games of the season, they have since beaten Coventry City and Chelsea to move up to 14th on the table.
They are boosted by the news that James Maddison, who went down unchallenged against Chelsea, will be fit to play against Palace.
But Spurs' recent upturn in form has also coincided with the return of Dejan Kulusevski, who spent 526 days on the sidelines with a knee injury that he suffered against Palace in 2024-2025.
"I know I can compete, and I know that because I put in the work," Kulusevski said about managing the injury.
"I am not afraid because I put in the work for one year, so I know I will be ready to play, and the knee is strong.
"Roberto [de Zerbi], I know from before because he is a very special manager, so when he came here, it feels also like it is special. I am so happy to have him and the staff because they are different, and I like to work with different people."
