Brighton's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend has thrown Pierre Sage into trouble in the sack race.
Pierre Sage has been heavily backed in the Premier League sack race after Crystal Palace lost 5-0 at Brighton.
Several bookmakers have cut him from 10/1 to as short as 2/1 to be the next manager to leave his post.
Palace were 3-0 down inside 10 minutes at the Amex on Sunday, and it was their heaviest defeat by Brighton since 1956. The away end booed them off at full time.
No Premier League manager has been sacked yet this season. Michael Carrick is still the favourite to be the first to go, but the gap between him and Sage has narrowed sharply in the past 24 hours.
Premier League Sack Race Odds
Best vs Worst Odds In the Premier League Sack Race
| Selection | Best odds | Best at | Worst odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Carrick | 7/4 | Ladbrokes, BetVictor, Coral | 11/8 |
| Pierre Sage | 5/1 | Betfair, Sky Bet, Paddy Power | 2/1 |
| Alvaro Arbeloa | 8/1 | BetVictor | 3/1 |
| Roberto De Zerbi | 9/1 | William Hill, Betfair, Sky Bet, Paddy Power | 7/1 |
| Oliver Glasner | 10/1 | Betfair, Sky Bet, Paddy Power | 8/1 |
| Matthias Jaissle | 14/1 | Betfair, Sky Bet, Paddy Power | 13/2 |
| Régis Le Bris | 22/1 | Betfair, Sky Bet, Paddy Power | 11/1 |
| Enzo Maresca | 25/1 | William Hill, Ladbrokes, BetVictor, Coral | 18/1 |
| Frank Lampard | 25/1 | William Hill, BetVictor | 16/1 |
| Gary O'Neil | 25/1 | William Hill, Betfair, Ladbrokes, Coral, Sky Bet, Paddy Power | 20/1 |
| Unai Emery | 40/1 | Ladbrokes, Coral | 25/1 |
| Marco Rose | 50/1 | William Hill, BetVictor | 33/1 |
Odds are subject to fluctuation and correct as of 11:31 BST, Monday 19 October: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/next-manager-to-leave-post
Pierre Sage Sack Odds: Why Has He Been Backed?
Oddschecker's bet history shows how quickly the market has turned. Ladbrokes and Coral had Sage at 10/1 going into Sunday's game. They cut him to 6/1 after the match, then to 3/1 and 9/4 this morning.
Betfair, Sky Bet and Paddy Power halved him from 10/1 to 5/1 just before 10am. BetVictor has been the most aggressive, going from 10/1 to 4/1 on Sunday and then to 2/1 at 11 am this morning. That's an implied chance of around 33%, compared with about 17% at his best price of 5/1.
The scoreline wasn't the only problem. Brighton scored three in the first 10 minutes, including Diego Gómez's shot from the halfway line. Palace managed just one shot on target. They've now conceded 17 league goals, the most in the division, and they're 14th, only two points above the relegation zone.
Sage didn't defend himself afterwards. "It's my fault because I am the coach," he said. "Only one feeling, shame." Asked whether he would get time to turn things round, he said: "I don't know… That's not my decision."
Pierre Sage at Crystal Palace
Sage replaced Oliver Glasner in June on a three-year deal. He had just won Lens' first Coupe de France and taken them to second in Ligue 1. His Premier League record at Palace so far is two wins, one draw and four defeats from seven games. Last month chairman Steve Parish called it "not a bad start", but he also said the club was "still on high alert". Reports since Sunday suggest the hierarchy is losing patience. Rob Edwards is the most widely reported possible replacement.
Palace play Beşiktaş in the Europa League on Thursday, then host Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday 25 October. Those two games could decide whether Sage keeps his job.
Who Is Favourite in the Premier League Sack Race?
Carrick is the 7/4 favourite, about a 36% chance, and William Hill goes as short as 11/8. Manchester United drew 1-1 at Leeds and are now winless in six and 13th in the table.
Arbeloa has been the big drifter today. BetVictor pushed him out from 4/1 to 8/1 after Fulham's 1-0 win over Hull, his first league win in charge. De Zerbi is 9/1, with Tottenham bottom of the table ahead of tonight's game against Coventry. Glasner is 10/1 after Nottingham Forest's home defeat by Arsenal left them 18th.
