Premier League manager in sudden sack contention as huge developments see odds slashed
Fabian Hurzeler has found himself under big pressure at Brighton after his side were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Brighton have not been open to sacking Hurzeler, but the pressure is rising with every disappointing result at the American Express Stadium.
The Seagulls do not boast a big buffer to the bottom three, and they are falling further and further away from the top six despite a positive start to the season.
Oliver Glasner had been under huge pressure at Palace, with his side without a win in 12 consecutive games across all competitions.
But Palace have decided against sacking Glasner, with the Austrian set to leave in the summer in any event.
Fabian Hurzeler’s odds slashed dramatically
For many Brighton fans, the anger will not just lie with Sunday’s defeat to their fierce rivals, but with the way the home side went about it as well.
They were second best throughout the match, with their best chance coming after Palace had already taken the lead.
| Brighton | Match stats | Crystal Palace |
| 63% | Possession | 37% |
| 7 | Shots | 7 |
| 2 | Shots on target | 4 |
| 0.85 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.16 |
| 3 | Corners | 4 |
Sarr‘s strike put the Eagles ahead, before Charalampos Kostoulas was presented with an opportunity through on goal.
The 18-year-old could only fire straight at Dean Henderson, however, and Brighton would fail to put him under any huge pressure again.
The loss marks a fifth consecutive game in which the Seagulls have failed to win in the Premier League, and the pressure is mounting.
In the wake of the result, the odds of Hurzeler being the next manager to face the sack have been dramatically slashed to 13/2, placing him among the favourites.
One major bookmaker continues to back Tottenham manager Thomas Frank as the favourite at 4/6, with Eddie Howe (3/1) just behind.
What Brighton fans chanted vs Crystal Palace spells trouble
Brighton fans made their feelings on Hurzeler very clear in the closing stages of Sunday’s game.
When Carlos Baleba was substituted in the 71st minute, the decision was met by boos from around the ground.
And as the referee blew the final whistle, Brighton fans voiced their displeasure by, once again, engulfing the American Express Stadium in boos.
Some fans even broke out in chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing”, which will not provide Hurzeler with confidence.
When a manager is close to losing his job, it is usually the fans who are first to go.