Sage Lashes Out at Spurs After 2-0 Loss, but the Stats Reveal a Harsher Reality for Palace

Pierre Sage reportedly lost his temper in the Crystal Palace dressing room after the final whistle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, supposedly furious at what he saw as disrespectful behaviour from Spurs during their comfortable 2-0 win. The defeat dropped Palace into the relegation zone and left Sage’s position under serious threat. But if he wants someone to blame for his team’s struggles, the statistics from Saturday evening are a good place to start, because Tottenham did not behave badly. They simply dominated.

Sage’s game plan was wrecked by his own striker. In the 13th minute, Jean-Philippe Mateta lunged in with his studs up on Micky van de Ven’s ankle, a challenge the Daily Mail branded needless and senseless. Michael Oliver first showed a yellow, but VAR upgraded it to a red. Sage could only shake his head as Mateta walked off, and the damage was entirely self-inflicted.

From then on it was a siege. Tottenham had 34 shots to Palace’s two, led the expected goals count 3.26 to 0.14, won the corner count 19-0 and finished with roughly 79% of the possession. If Spurs were guilty of anything, it was wastefulness, and only seven saves from Dean Henderson kept the scoreline respectable.

Both goals also came down to Palace’s defending. Archie Gray’s 25th-minute header from a Mohammed Kudus corner came with five Spurs players at the far post against three markers, leaving Gray free. Jan Paul van Hecke’s 73rd-minute second came from another set-piece routine Palace failed to deal with, as he bundled in the rebound after Henderson parried his first header. That is the mark of a team that cannot defend set pieces, and Palace have now conceded more goals than anyone else in the division.

It is hard to see what grievance Sage could have with Tottenham’s conduct. The BBC’s match report was more sympathetic towards him, noting that the travelling fans chanted his name in the second half and that his players had not given up on him. That is understandable, as he inherited a tough situation and the red card did him no favours.

Sympathy only goes so far, though. Palace sit 18th with seven points from nine games and have lost six of those nine under Sage. Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank are reportedly waiting in the wings, and shouting at the opposition is unlikely to impress Steve Parish, who was said to be watching from the stands looking grim.

Perhaps the outburst, if it happened, was simply frustration rather than a genuine belief that Spurs crossed a line. Tottenham did nothing to disgrace the Premier League. They just showed up a Palace side that is soft at the back, undisciplined at key moments and heading into a relegation fight.

The real shame, if there is one, would be a manager lashing out at his opponents instead of facing up to his own team’s dreadful numbers. Spurs won 2-0 and could have scored six, which is no scandal, just a football match. And it is one Sage may be lucky to survive in his job.