Premier League: Relegation threatened Crystal Palace sack Patrick Vieira after 12-match winless run

Premier League outfit Crystal Palace have parted ways with manager Patrick Vieira after the club endured a tough period since the turn of the year. The former France international who took charge of the team in 2021, led Palace to an FA Cup final and 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season. However, a run of 12 matches without a win in all competitions saw Palace pull the plug ahead of their visit to Vieira’s former club Arsenal.

“It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made,” chairman Steve Parish said.

“Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status.”

Palace had earned a lot of applause for the attacking style of play implemented under the 46-year-old who revived the club’s fortune. Palace enjoyed a successful full first season with the Frenchman before the slump of form came in after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 

However, goal scoring was a big issue that led to the eventual departure of Vieira with only three teams scoring fewer goals than them. The South London club managed to score only 21 goals in 27 Premier League matches. The 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals Brighton proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the former Arsenal star, who was due to visit the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

“Patrick’s impact since joining us in the summer of 2021 has been significant, and he is held in the highest regard by myself, and all of his colleagues.

“He led the team to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and respectable 12th-placed finish last season playing some exciting football, which was a challenging and crucial campaign for the club given the changes we made to the squad before his arrival.

“Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service.”

Numbers did not make good reading either for Palace as they collected only five points from a possible 33 in 2023 with them recently becoming the first team to not register a shot on target in three consecutive Premier League matches. 

It is not yet clear on will take charge of the side as they sit just three points above the drop zone and are in danger of losing their PL status for the first time in a decade. 

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