Ismaila Sarr delivered a stunning performance as Crystal Palace triumphed over their fierce rivals Brighton & Hove Albion with a 3-1 victory at the Amex Stadium on Sunday. This important win not only places Palace four points clear of the relegation zone but also provided much needed momentum as they continue to fight for survival in the Premier League.
The match showcased the Eagles' ability to seize opportunities as they scored two goals within just six minutes of each other during the first half, establishing a firm grip on the game. Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring for Palace from close range following a corner, benefitting from some fortunate deflections. Sarr then doubled the visitors’ lead shortly thereafter with a precise header from Tyrick Mitchell's cross.
Brighton challenged for much of the match, particularly after the break, where they exhibited greater determination and offensive intensity. Despite controlling large parts of the second half, they repeatedly faced obstacles posed by Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson, whose performance was pivotal to securing the win for the visitors. Henderson made numerous notable saves, including stopping powerful efforts from Lewis Dunk and Julio Enciso.
Despite their pressure, it was Sarr who punctuated the match with his second goal, solidifying the Eagles' dominance. This goal arrived at the 82nd minute when Sarr, showing remarkable pace, broke free from the Brighton defense to calmly slot the ball past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Yet it wasn’t until the dying moments of the match, when Marc Guéhi conceded an own goal, providing Brighton with a mere consolation goal, as Palace celebrated their significant victory.
This match marked Crystal Palace's first victory over Brighton since February 2021, ending their streak of six winless matches against them, which included four draws and two losses. Brighton entered the match with high hopes, hoping to secure their position near the top of the table, but instead, they faced their first home defeat of the league season. Following this loss, Brighton has now gone winless in four matches.
Post-match, Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler expressed frustration with the defensive errors leading to the goals, stating, "The goals we conceded are too easy. You can't concede these easy goals. We showed good reaction...but then the game is getting more and more difficult because they are getting more compact.”
On the other side, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner praised his players, emphasizing the importance of their proactive approach, "All the credit goes to the players. We defended compact, we didn't give them many situations.” He also acknowledged Henderson’s contributions, as well as the overall improvement of the team’s performance across the past few matches.
This win catapults Crystal Palace up to 15th place on the league table, demonstrating their resilience as they look to distance themselves from the relegation zone. They have now extended their unbeaten run to five Premier League matches, with fans hoping this result could be the turning point after some historically poor performances early this season.
Looking forward, Crystal Palace will have to maintain this momentum as they gear up for their upcoming fixtures, which includes two matches against Arsenal—one of which is for the EFL Cup.
Meanwhile, Brighton finds themselves needing to reassess their strategy after this setback, having not capitalized on their early season form to challenge for European spots. There are growing concerns about their inability to secure wins against lower-ranked teams, as this loss adds to notable failures against similar opponents this season.
The intensity of the rivalry underscored the match atmosphere, with both sets of fans aware of the significance of the result. The clash is always more than just three points; it’s about pride and bragging rights between these two neighboring clubs.
The Eagles will take great pride from this victory, as they go home with the bragging rights and newfound confidence heading down the stretch of the season. The question now remains: can they keep this winning momentum alive against tougher opponents as the holiday fixtures approach?
