Pierre Sage makes sack admission as Crystal Palace future hangs in balance after Tottenham defeat

Palace manager Sage admits his future is not in his hands after a 2-0 loss to Spurs leaves the club in the relegation zone with one win in nine games.

Crystal Palace suffered a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke. The result was compounded by Jean-Philippe Mateta's early red card. Palace have now won just one of their first nine league games and sit in the relegation zone.

Manager Pierre Sage acknowledged the severity of the situation but insisted he will fight for his future, despite admitting the decision is not his to make. "I am really aware of the situation," Sage said. "I don't like this situation. [But] you can trust in me, I will never give up." He added that relegation would be a disaster for the club and that his focus is on improving the team's performance on the pitch, particularly their possession and control of the ball.

Chairman Steve Parish attended the match and, according to Standard Sport, also made a rare appearance in the home dressing room to speak with Sage after last weekend's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. Palace face mounting pressure with three successive league defeats.