How did Sage fare in his Premier League opener?

[BBC] [Getty Images] Premier League history was made before a ball was even kicked this season as a record nine clubs started the campaign with new managers. The post-Oliver Glasner era has begun at Crystal Palace under Pierre Sage, who led Ligue 1 side Lens to their first French Cup last season before agreeing to take over at Selhurst Park. So how did he fare on an eventful first weekend of the 2026-27 campaign? It was a disappointing start for the highly regarded Sage, who did such an outstanding job at Lens, with defeat at Everton - but he also knows the outcome could have been a much more satisfactory one. Palace's second-half display will have disappointed him, but they had chances in the opening period to set up their first win at Everton since 2014. They hit the woodwork twice, while Jean-Phillipe Mateta was wasteful, meaning Sage and his team paid a heavy price. Sage's unhappy opening weekend will not have been helped by a contract row surrounding striker Mateta, which puts his future in question, while he will also want more numbers and quality to add to his squad. Next up is Manchester City at Selhurst Park, where Sage will sample the superb night game atmosphere as he searches for his first league win. It is no easy task. Read Phil's thoughts on how the rest of the new faces fared here