Why has Crystal Palace's form dropped so quickly?

Pierre Sage was seen as a rising name when he won the French Cup with RC Lens last year and enjoyed a season finishing close to second place in Ligue 1. In July, he was drawn by the appeal of the Premier League and took over at Crystal Palace. The 47-year-old head coach now has the team in the relegation zone, with the league's weakest defence.

The team has reportedly failed to score in its last three league matches and has conceded nine goals. After a defeat at Tottenham, in which the side fell two goals behind, Sage's position became a subject of debate. Sage openly criticised the performance after the match and described what happened as a disaster.

The departures of Daniel Munoz and Maxence Lacroix last summer, and the failure of their replacements to match their quality, made the problems worse. Ismaila Sarr's injury also made the absence of the player who scored 21 goals last season more obvious. Adam Wharton's form over the last three months has also fallen short of expectations.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's red card in the 13th minute of his second Premier League match, and the three-match ban that follows, is another blow for Palace. The team will host Liverpool on Sunday and will look to stop their poor run.