Brighton vs Crystal Palace news: Fiery stalemate expected in M23 derby
- Scott Allen
- 14 January 2022
The game that everyone forgets is a derby, unless you support Brighton or Crystal Palace. Planet Sport is gearing up for another red-hot clash with plenty of last-minute drama.
The two sides played out a 1-1 draw back in September, with Neal Maupay's cheeky injury-time lob cancelling out a Wilfried Zaha penalty, in a game that was littered with cards and needle.
Both sides appear to be cemented in mid-table in the Premier League, but this is a game about bragging rights.
When: Friday, January 14, 20:00 GMT
Where to watch: Sky Sports
Who is the ref for Brighton vs Crystal Palace
Jarred Gillett, the Premier League's newest ref, will be taking charge of his first top-tier derby having spent most of the season with the crumbs from the fixture table.
He's not officiated either team in the Premier League, while his last game in the top flight was over a month ago - Arsenal's 3-0 win over Southampton.
Season stats 2021/22: Premier League matches (4), yellows (17), reds (0), penalties (1)
Recent form
Brighton have finally consigned their hideous 11-match winless slump to the bin, coming out the other side with a four-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
The Seagulls beat Everton and Brentford and pulled off a creditable draw with Chelsea over the festive period. They've also found their shooting boots, with six goals across those matches.
Palace only managed to beat lowly Norwich over Christmas, the meat sandwiched between defeats by Spurs and West Ham. The Eagles were unlucky to lose against the Irons, however. Clinical finishing would have given them all three points.
Brighton and Palace players in form
Brighton's Scottish-sounding Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could be starting to catch fire. Good performances against Brentford and Chelsea were topped off with two goals against Everton.
Last three matches:
Neale Maupay's dramatic 95th-minute equaliser plunged a dagger into Crystal Palace hearts.
Palace had taken the lead through a first half Zaha penalty, and probably should have killed the game off had Jordan Ayew not put a glorious chance the wrong side of the post.
Another last minute goal settling this game, this time in favour of Palace. Christian Benteke's volley in the 95th minute helped Palace snatch the three points, in a game where they only managed three shots.
Brighton had 25 efforts on goal, and 75% possession, but still somehow managed to lose.
Guess what? Another game with a last-minute goal.
Substitute Mac Allister netted the equaliser in the 90th minute, cancelling out Zaha's first-half penalty. This is starting to sound a bit familiar, isn't it?
Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk picked up a red card, in the dying moments of the match, for a two-footed tackle on Gary Cahill.
Last ten matches
It's worth noting that Palace haven't lost to Brighton in the last five games.
Manager's thoughts
Palace boss Patrick Vieira said: "The last game we played at home and the last-minute equaliser is still in our mind. We will go there with the same ideas of playing and to try to give ourselves the best chance of a positive result."
Brighton boss, Graham Potter: "Hopefully we can come out on top but looking forward to the atmosphere, especially. The one at Selhurst Park was good, I'm sure the one on Friday night will be the same."
Predicted Brighton vs Crystal Palace teams
Crystal Palace will be without injured trio Enock Mwepu, James Tomkins and James McArthur. Cheikhou Kouyate, Ayew and Zaha are all at the Africa Cup of Nations. Yves Bissouma is the only Brighton player at the tournament.
Adam Webster should return after sitting out Brighton's cup win at the Hawthorns as a precaution, while Seagulls midfielder Moises Caicedo could make his top flight debut after returning from a loan spell in Belgium with Beerschot.
The game comes slightly too soon for Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, but he is expected to start training with the team on Sunday after six weeks out with a knee injury.
Possible Brighton starting line-up: Sanchez, Veltman, Duffy, Burn, Lamptey, Allister, Moder, Lallana, Cucurella, Trossard, Maupay
Possible Palace starting line-up: Guaita, Mitchell, Guehi, Andersen, Ward, Schlupp, Hughes, Gallagher, Edouard, Benteke, Olise
Brighton vs Crystal Palace prediction:
All signs point to a draw, and a last-minute goal. One thing that can't happen is a Zaha penalty. Let's go with a card-heavy 1-1 draw.
