Sean Dyche has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next Crystal Palace manager should Pierre Sage be sacked, according to a report.

Sage has won just four of his first 12 matches in charge of the Eagles in all competitions since succeeding Oliver Glasner in the summer, with only two wins posted across his opening eight Premier League games.

Palace were unable to bounce back from their humbling 5-0 away defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion as they fell to a 2-0 home loss against Newcastle United on Sunday, leaving Sage’s side 17th in the table and just one point above the relegation zone.

No Premier League team have conceded more goals than Palace (19) so far this season, and The Telegraph reports that Sage is now under intense pressure to keep his job.

It is claimed that Dyche, who has been out of work since being dismissed by Nottingham Forest in February, is leading the race to replace the Frenchman at Selhurst Park.

Dyche the ‘frontrunner’ to replace Sage as Crystal Palace boss

Dyche has managed over 350 Premier League games with three different clubs and has a strong record in relegation battles, which would appeal to a club like Palace who could soon be dragged into one.

The 55-year-old spent a decade in charge at Burnley where he secured top-flight promotion twice and kept then in the Premier League for six successive seasons before he was relieved of his duties in April 2022.

Dyche also steered Everton away from danger during a near 12-month spell at Goodison Park before being sacked in January 2025, and then spent just four months in charge of Nottingham Forest, winning six of his 18 league matches.

It is understood that former Tottenham and Brentford boss Thomas Frank was on Crystal Palace’s managerial shortlist before appointing Sage and could emerge as a contender once again.

Vitor Pereira is another name ‘expected’ to come into contention for struggling Premier League teams battling to avoid the drop, having saved Wolves and Forest in his previous jobs.

Sage reacts to “normal” pressure after latest Palace setback

Following the defeat to Newcastle, Sage insisted that his players and the club’s hierarchy still support him despite their poor start to the season.

"Yes. I think they do [believe in me],” he told reporters. "It's normal [to be under pressure] because we don't have the results. The noise is a consequence of the team and we don't have [the points] we expect.

"Inside, we just are really focused on the solutions, how to be better and how to create the conditions to compete. I don't have to convince people around the club, I just have to convince the players to do their best and continue their improvement.

"After that, this kind of decision of what we are speaking about is to the chairman (Steve Parish) and owners. For me, the noise around the team and club is only noise.

"I spoke with the chairman this week, but I didn't speak about this subject. We spoke about the game, the condition of the team and how we build our game plan to compete today.

“We didn't speak about this subject. I share my strategy with him and the technical staff. It's normal."

Crystal Palace are next in action on Wednesday night away against Fulham in the EFL Cup fourth round, before travelling to Spurs for their next Premier League match on Saturday.