Premier League sack race: Unwanted stat sees Patrick Vieira shorten to favourite
- Matty Briggs
- 13 March 2023
Crystal Palace have been dragged into the relegation dogfight and Patrick Vieira is now the favourite in the next manager to go market.
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has moved to the head of the Premier League sack race on Monday.
The struggling outfit were defeated 1-0 by champions Manchester City on Saturday, but Vieira only shortened into 5/4 to be the next manager to go after money for him on Monday.
Palace made history on Saturday after becoming the first top-flight side, since records began (2003-04), to fail to have a single shot on target in three consecutive Premier League matches.
It's a damning stat for Vieira, whose side have been dragged into a relegation battle. They are now just three points clear of Bournemouth in the bottom three.
There are among a list of nine teams, who could feasibly get relegated.
Palace are without a win in 2023 and have picked up fewer Premier League points than any other side this year. They do though have creditable home draws with Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton on their record and so all is not lost.
But the south Londoners are now as short as 5/1 to get relegated after another pointless weekend which saw Bournemouth win and the likes of Leeds and Southampton pick up useful draws.
Vieira was appointed in July 2021 and led the Eagles to a 12th-place finish last term, but a report from talkSPORT has claimed his job is coming under increasing pressure with officials concerned about their slide.
At Friday's press conference, Vieira said: "If I am sitting in front of you and telling you that I'm not concerned, that would be a lie," Vieira said in his press conference on Friday.
"Of course we are concerned, of course we are aware of our position in the table, but it's important for us to remain calm and keep working and keep improving."
West Ham boss David Moyes and Spurs manager Antonio Conte were both heading the market in recent weeks.
