Sage: Palace Boss Eyes Spurs Win After Fulham Carabao Cup Relief

Pierre Sage: Crystal Palace boss targets Tottenham win after Fulham Carabao Cup relief

Pierre Sage takes his Crystal Palace side to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (5.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports) buoyed by a Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Fulham. The Palace head coach admits recent scrutiny but insists the difficult period can make him a better manager and unite the squad.

Fixture: Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace, Saturday, 5.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
Competition: Premier League
Palace boost: Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Fulham on Wednesday night
Recent low: 5-0 hammering at rivals Brighton earlier this month
Sage on De Zerbi: Travelled to Rome and Sassuolo to study Spurs boss's methods
At stake: A win at Spurs would be a significant step in the right direction for Sage's side

What was said

"Maybe you will think my answer is crazy but I think it's an opportunity for me to become a better coach."
— Pierre Sage, on the pressure at Crystal Palace

"Faced with the difficulty, the problem, you have to find a solution I didn't anticipate. It's an opportunity to challenge my ideas, my way of doing [things], some adaptation..."
— Pierre Sage

"I know the most important thing is the results, that we need to change things to become the team we're able to be. I have to take the good decisions at the good moment in this period because the player needs [me to]."
— Pierre Sage

"This situation is maybe a positive opportunity for me. Every day I want to improve and become a better coach and help the players and team to become better too."
— Pierre Sage

"A lot of time you think you work for nothing but you work always for tomorrow. You create the roots of something big."
— Pierre Sage

"When you're in this mindset and everyone understands this kind of thing, the pressure is not where everybody thinks - it's on what you do daily."
— Pierre Sage

"He was a model for a long time. I went to Rome, to Sassuolo. I wanted to understand how he plays."
— Pierre Sage, on Roberto De Zerbi

"All these guys are opponents during two hours but all of them [have] good ideas and I just have to rob them, their good ideas and create a context here to be efficient."
— Pierre Sage

"We're not here only to try to win but to win in the way decide. That's really exciting to manage this gap."
— Pierre Sage

"We have to stay calm and confident with what we do and what we have to do."
— Pierre Sage

"The club and the fans have to be together. We're a big family, we love the badge, we fight every day for the badge."
— Pierre Sage

"We are all here for the same things: we want to see this team really competitive on the pitch, win games, win titles and share good moments all together to have things to explain to our family when we will be old."
— Pierre Sage

Sage is clearly using the adversity to fuel his own development. Rather than bemoaning the pressure, he frames it as a chance to challenge his methods and adapt. That mindset will be tested at Tottenham, but it also reveals a coach eager to prove he can turn around a difficult start.

His words about working for tomorrow show a long-term vision. Palace fans may want instant results, but Sage is focused on building roots. The Carabao Cup win at Fulham provides tangible evidence that the process is beginning to yield results, and Sage believes the second-half performance at Craven Cottage was closer to the side he wants.

Why Sage's Tottenham trip is about more than three points

Pierre Sage's admiration for Roberto De Zerbi is well documented. The Palace boss travelled to Italy to study De Zerbi's methods at Sassuolo and Roma, and now he faces the man he once observed. That tactical curiosity could shape how Palace approach Saturday's game. Sage has spoken about wanting to win in his own way, and pitting his ideas against De Zerbi's will be a fascinating subplot.

Palace's recent form has been poor: four games without a win across all competitions before the Fulham victory, including a 5-0 hammering at Brighton. That low point exposed defensive frailties, and Sage will need to tighten things up against a Spurs side also hoping for transformation. The Carabao Cup win offers a blueprint: a clean sheet and a morale-boosting result. Sage must decide whether to stick with the same personnel or rotate for the league trip.

The pressure on Sage is real, but his approach is to focus on daily work rather than external noise. He believes that if the squad understands the mindset, the pressure shifts to what they do every day. That philosophy will be tested at Tottenham, where a win would ease concerns and provide a platform for the weeks ahead. For now, Sage is calm, confident, and determined to build something lasting.

Talking points

Can Sage's focus on daily work silence the doubters if Palace lose at Spurs? Results remain the ultimate currency.
Is studying De Zerbi a sign of respect or a disadvantage? Sage may know Spurs' methods, but De Zerbi can adapt too.
Should Sage prioritise the Carabao Cup after reaching the quarter-finals? A trophy could buy time and build belief.
Will the 5-0 Brighton defeat be seen as a turning point or a warning? Sage must ensure it's the former.

What happens next

Crystal Palace travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, with kick-off at 5.30pm live on Sky Sports. A win would be a significant step in the right direction for Sage's side, while defeat would intensify scrutiny. The Palace boss will also look to build on the Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Fulham as he seeks to implement his style and climb the Premier League table.