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Palace find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table after suffering back-to-back defeats at the start of the new campaign. Enzo Maresca's City dominated proceedings at Selhurst Park courtesy of braces from Cherki and Haaland. The heavy loss extended an unwanted record for the Eagles, who have now lost their opening home fixture in 13 separate Premier League seasons.
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Sage questions bench impact
Sage's attempts to inject fresh impetus by introducing Dwight McNeil, Zavier Gozo, and Evann Guessand in the second half backfired as his side's performance levels dropped considerably. Venting his frustration to Sky Sports after the final whistle, Sage insisted: "I think we were able to play 60 minutes, stayed in the game. When I made the substitutions, the energy of the team went down. I'm a bit angry with that.
"Both [at my team and myself], we are together. I'm with my team every moment. We had a lot of chances, it's difficult to have hope against this kind of team without scoring. When you change players, you need more energy, I didn't find that."
French tactician demands improvement
The heavy reverse marked only the second time a side managed by Sage has conceded four goals in a league fixture, following Lyon's 4-1 loss to PSG in April 2024. Addressing fitness deficits and a disrupted pre-season schedule, Sage added: "We know we are in a process, we know we have to work. We have to not accept this kind of situation, we deserved a better result. Two negative situations at the end. We were late in our preseasons. I think at the moment we need substitutions. You can't replace fatigue with low energy."
Crystal Palace FC v Manchester City - Premier League 2026/27
Crystal Palace FC v Manchester City - Premier League 2026/27
Deadline day moves awaited
Palace face an urgent need to regroup and capitalise on the closing days of the transfer window before Tuesday's deadline to bolster their squad depth. Sage will target his first points of the campaign when he leads his side across the capital to face Fulham in a London derby on September 5. Securing a positive result at Craven Cottage is essential to lifting dressing-room morale before the domestic schedule pauses for the international break.