Crystal Palace open the 2026/27 Premier League season away at Everton, and this preview has been updated on 17 September 2026 to bring together everything Pierre Sage has said before the trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The facts below are unchanged from our original report published on 20 August 2026, with the manager’s full pre-match comments now confirmed alongside the latest squad detail.
Sage, 47, stepped into the Crystal Palace dugout after Oliver Glasner’s departure and is preparing for his first Premier League opener in charge. Palace arrive at Goodison’s successor ground looking to carry three trophies from the last two seasons into a new campaign under a new head coach.
Pierre Sage updates Palace fans ahead of Everton opener
Sage used his pre-match media duties to explain how much the club looks forward to every season opener, home or away, and framed the trip to Merseyside as the final stretch of pre-season work rather than a ceremonial occasion.
“We are really happy to begin this season because (while) it’s important to train, we like the game and we like to share that with our fans. That’s why the first game is always weighted, and the first game at home will be like this too, and for the moment we are in the last line (of preparation). We have to do it quickly and to be in our best version to compete against Everton.”
Palace’s opener is away at Everton, but Sage’s broader point applies to any first game of the campaign: sharpness matters more than where it is played. The message is clear that supporters place real value on the opening weekend, and Sage wants his squad sharp rather than simply ready.
Pierre Sage previews the 2026/27 season opening fixture
Beyond the tactical detail, Sage reflected on what it means personally to lead Palace into a new Premier League campaign. He described the moment as a reality he once only dreamed of as a young coach, while insisting the job is far from finished.
“When I was a young coach in another club, it was a dream. Now I’m here and it’s not a dream, it’s a reality, but I think it’s only a step. I keep my ambition. I want to, to go forward with this team, with this club, as long as we can and I want to continue my improvement and the improvement of the club too and the players, like I said about Adam Wharton, for example, but emotionally it’s really a good moment.”
That ambition sits alongside genuine pressure. Palace have won three trophies in two years, and Sage knows the standard now expected of the club before a ball is kicked this season.
“I’m really impatient to play this first game with this new jersey and this new club and with a lot of pressure because the club won three trophies in the last two years. That’s why now we have the habit to win, but we have to confirm that every day by working and by performing during the game.”
Much of that winning habit rests on players Palace have managed to keep hold of through the summer. Jean-Philippe Mateta, Daichi Kamada and Daniel Muñoz all remain at Selhurst Park, giving Sage a settled core to build his first campaign around. Supporters can check the current squad contract details and the club’s summer transfer window review for the full picture of who stayed and who arrived.
How Crystal Palace line up for the Everton clash
No confirmed starting eleven has been named for the trip to Merseyside, and this preview does not speculate on team selection. What is confirmed is the identity of Palace’s new No. 11: Dwight McNeil has joined from Everton as part of a swap deal involving Brennan Johnson, who moved the other way.
Everton, managed by David Moyes, have strengthened with Hackney, Johnson and Christian Norgaard arriving over the summer. Sage acknowledged how tight last season’s meetings between the two clubs were, and set out how he wants his side to approach the rematch.
“(On Everton) It’s a good first game because last year the two teams were close in the table, but like you said, it’s another context and now we have to be the best version of us for the moment to compete and to fight at the highest as we can as we are able for the moment and we want to be ambitious for this game. We want to win. We go there to win. We don’t go there to close the play. We want to play. We want to show what we are able to do, and we want to to take confidence by doing things and be efficient in what we decide to do.”
McNeil facing his old club on his Palace debut adds an obvious subplot. Sage was direct about the situation and about what the winger brings to his new side.
“First of all, it’s really difficult to play the first game with your new team against your former team, but I did that as a coach last year and, once it’s happened, it’s done. That’s why, we make a lot of noise with that, but at the end it’s only a game. To speak about him, he’s really a good player. He’s able to be really efficient between the lines. He’s good to unbalance the opponent. He has a left foot of high level, and now we have to connect (him) with the others to play, for us and not only as a player alone.”
What happens next for Pierre Sage and Crystal Palace
Sage has been candid that this opener is only the first step of a longer project at Selhurst Park. His comments on Adam Wharton reflect that same forward-looking approach, with the club keen to build around its existing talent rather than start from scratch. Readers can follow the latest on his situation in our piece on the Adam Wharton transfer stance.
For context on how Palace reached this point, our early pre-season talking points covered the wider picture around Sage’s appointment and the club’s World Cup-affected preparations. The full detail of everything Sage said before kick-off is available in Pierre Sage’s full pre-match press conference.
With no confirmed lineup or match result available at the time of this update, Palace fans will need to wait for kick-off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium to see how Sage’s first Premier League selection and McNeil’s return to Merseyside actually play out.
