Crystal Palace claim first win at Brighton in three years

Trips to Brighton have been dull from a Crystal Palace perspective in recent years. On Sunday, the Eagles travelled to the South Coast winless in their last three visits. Filled with hope, 3,000 Palace fans flocked to the AMEX desiring a day to remember.

Glasner’s side took a while to get going, but once they started they were unstoppable, putting three past  Fabian Hurzeler’s side.

For over 20 minutes Palace struggled, it seemed an all too familiar feeling for the Eagles against their rivals.

But Palace battled and prevented the Seagulls from taking an early lead, growing into the game. All of a sudden, Glasner’s side had sorted their passing out and started to play with confidence.

Corners had been the closest Palace had come to troubling Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton net, albeit there was a lack of penetration.

Delivery was key, Palace had totted up four corners, they had to take advantage of them. In the 26th minute, Will Hughes found the pinpoint delivery and caused havoc in the Brighton penalty area. Jean-Philippe Mateta brought the cross down, it struck Ismaila Sarr before Trevoh Chalobah was on hand to smash it past the helpless Verbruggen.

There was an element of scrappiness to the goal, but it is what Palace needed to ignite their belief.

Palace had settled and pushed their early troubles aside. Six minutes after taking the lead, the stressful first half turned into an enjoyable gloat for the Palace faithful as they added their second.

Although the opener was scruffy, the second was textbook. Academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell composed an elegant cross from the left flank to the back post. Sarr was busting a gut to meet the cross, he eased past the Brighton backline and fired his headed effort into the net.

For what had been a pretty hopeless start, everything had clicked for Palace, grafting to a two-goal lead.

Brighton, who had been subpar in the first half, came out with more intent in the second. The Eagles struggled to get out of their defensive half and the South Coast side were in their groove.

Dean Henderson had been a bystander for much of the first half, with Brighton mustering just the one shot on target, but after the break, he was given the unwanted opportunity to show his class.

Lewis Dunk met a dangerous Brighton free-kick at the start of the second half, but Henderson came up with the goods to make a sensational close-range save to deny Brighton a leveller.

The South Coast side pushed again, half time substitute Julio Enciso injected some energy into their attack and let loose on a fizzing shot from the edge of the box. All the way it looked to be bending into the bottom corner, but Henderson was once again on hand, this time flicking it around the post.

One-way traffic had captured the game at the Amex, yet Palace sorted themselves out and limited the Brighton threat even though they were dominating the ball.

Palace thought they had killed the game when Sarr burst into the Brighton box and tangled with Pervis Estupinan, the winger got the better of the defender with Estupinan taking a tumble. Sarr managed to cut it back to Daniel Munoz, who placed it into the gaping net. Referee Michael Oliver adjudged the tangle to be a foul from Sarr and ruled the goal out.

Brighton attempted to weather the storm but struggled to get the results. Palace stood strong and looked comfortable.

Two to the good with ten minutes to play, the travelling support were excitable while remaining nervy.

Yet two minutes later, scintillating Sarr relieved any angst, adding his second and Palace’s third. ‘Sarr will tear you apart again,’ the chant from the Palace support, and that he did. Eddie Nketiah flicked on a pass over the top for Sarr to run through. The Senegalese international rapidly sprinted and split the Brighton defence. He found himself one-on-one with Verbruggen and slotted his right-footed effort into the bottom corner.

(Image: PA)

In what was a brilliant performance, it was not all perfect for Palace, losing their clean sheet through a late Marc Guehi own goal. It gave Brighton the impetus to push for more, but the game was well and truly gone by that point.

For the last two Crystal Palace managers, trips to Brighton have been fatal, with Patrick Vieira and Roy Hodgson both dismissed shortly after losses to their biggest rivals. Today, however, Palace out-classed Brighton, claiming a win on the South Coast for the first time since 2021.

Victory at the AMEX provides the perfect opportunity for Palace to reach the heights of last season under Glasner, their season starts now.

The Eagles have accumulated 16 points after 16 games, climbing to 15th in the Premier League, with a cup quarter-final awaiting Glasner’s side on Wednesday.