Crystal Palace went to Tottenham in the bottom three with Pierre Sage under pressure

Crystal Palace went to Tottenham with seven points from eight league games. Pierre Sage's first season, the squad, the owners' summer and Europa League form.

Crystal Palace went to Tottenham for today's 17:30 kick-off in the bottom three, and the manager they appointed in June is the story.

Before that match Palace had seven points from eight games: two wins, one draw and five defeats, with nine goals scored and 19 conceded. The BBC called Pierre Sage's last home game, a 2-0 loss to Newcastle on 25 October, a continuing struggle, with Palace winless in four and a point outside the relegation zone at the time.

A new manager, a different club

Oliver Glasner left when his contract ended in May (the table of changes lists 27 May), and Sage was named on 15 June. Dean Henderson is captain. The team has talent, and the names that matter are:

Daichi Kamada, one league goal and three assists, who made his 100th Palace appearance in the Europa League draw at Beşiktaş.
Yéremy Pino, who has scored in all three Europa League games: the 4-0 win over Lech Poznań, the 3-2 defeat at Lyon and the 2-2 draw at Beşiktaş.
Adam Wharton, with one assist from 1.22 expected assists in the Fantasy Premier League data.
Jørgen Strand Larsen, the striker, who has one league goal and an ankle problem listed at a 75 per cent chance of playing.

The owners and the summer

The ownership group is mostly American and shared: Woody Johnson with 43 per cent, and Josh Harris, David Blitzer and Steve Parish with 10 per cent each, according to Wikipedia. Parish remains chairman.

The summer was about selling. Maxence Lacroix went to Chelsea for £52m and Daniel Muñoz to Nottingham Forest for £22m, which together brought in more than the club spent on Anan Khalaili (£24.5m, Union Saint-Gilloise), Quinten Timber (£17.15m, Marseille) and Zavier Gozo (£11m, Real Salt Lake). That is neat accounting. It is less neat on the pitch: Palace conceded 19 league goals in their first eight games.

Europe changes the maths

The Europa League has been messy and useful: a 4-0 home win against Lech, a 3-2 defeat at Lyon and a 2-2 draw at Beşiktaş. The League Cup has been kinder. Palace beat Middlesbrough 3-0, then won 1-0 at Fulham on Wednesday through Eddie Nketiah to reach the quarter-finals. The league has been harsher: 5-0 at Brighton on 18 October.

What to watch next

After Tottenham comes Hoffenheim at Selhurst Park in the Europa League on Thursday 5 November at 17:45, then Liverpool at home on 8 November at 14:00. Three matches, all different, in nine days. That run decides how loud the questions about Sage get.

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