Crystal Palace supporters have spent the past six months taking great pleasure in reminding their Brighton counterparts that they have yet to win a major trophy. So the first meeting of the two clubs since Oliver Glasner’s side did the double over their adversaries from down the A23 for the first time since 1933 – before going on to win the FA Cup – was never going to be one for the faint-hearted.
But while the streets of south London had the usual heavy police presence for a rivalry that dates back to the days when these clubs were managed by Terry Venables and Alan Mullery in the late 1970s, there wasn’t the same quality to match the passion on display.
Palace maintained their record of not having lost against Brighton here since March 2019, although Fabian Hürzeler’s team will see this as a chance spurned as they failed to take advantage of opponents who are running on fumes given the extra demands of a Conference League campaign that left them without captain Marc Guéhi.
Jaydee Canvot proved to be an able deputy, even if he must have had his heart in his mouth when the referee pointed to the spot in the second half after Georginio Rutter went down. However, the video assistant referee called Tim Robinson to the pitchside monitor and the referee ruled that the forward had dived.
“I think he had a very good game but the whole team really defended well,” Glasner said of the France Under-21 international before revealing that Guéhi did not fracture a bone against AZ on Thursday night. “It’s a heavy bone bruise, it’s swollen, he can’t walk, he’s on crutches. I don’t know if England wants to see him. I think if he arrives with crutches, they will send him home.”
In the week he was recalled by Thomas Tuchel, Adam Wharton lasted 65 minutes and got the better of another highly rated midfielder in the form of Carlos Baleba, yet neither could have a decisive say. Hürzeler – who, his 59th match in charge, named an unchanged side for the first time – said his players could have snatched the victory. “We had the chances and we were the better team, so therefore you can say it’s a missed opportunity,” he said. “But you can also see from a different perspective that there were a lot of positive things to take away.”
This has been a stop-start campaign for Brighton so far but after a run of three wins in their last five Premier League games, their manager admitted in the buildup they were “desperate” to notch up another in an atmosphere that is always frenzied.
That was certainly the case in the opening 10 minutes as both sides went on the attack, with Jean‑Philippe Mateta picking up where he left off on Thursday by blazing over inside the opening three minutes. Diego Gómez was flagged offside after forcing Dean Henderson into a save at the other end before a brilliant full-stretch dive from Bart Verbruggen denied a curling effort from Ismaïla Sarr at the end of a flowing Palace move.
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Hürzeler was shown a yellow card after taking exception to one decision and neither manager looked particularly happy as the game descended into a midfield battle with precious little space in which to work. A set piece seemed the most likely source of a breakthrough and Lewis Dunk – making the 500th appearance of his career – did well to clear after Jefferson Lerma directed his header from Wharton’s free-kick dangerously across the face of goal.
Robinson appeared reluctant to issue another caution when Yasin Ayari took out Wharton after he turned on to a forward pass from the assured Canvot and Lerma clashed with Danny Welbeck. Brighton should have at least tested Henderson when they swept downfield in a quick break just before half‑time but Yankuba Minteh dragged his shot horribly wide.
Gómez pressed the England goalkeeper into action at the start of the second half when he connected with Minteh’s cross as Brighton sensed an opportunity. Palace also remained a threat but Daichi Kamada could not make it count after Wharton caught Baleba in possession and Sarr picked out the Japan international inside the area.
Baleba found his way into the referee’s notebook soon afterwards for fouling Tyrick Mitchell – a decision that was greeted with ironic cheers from the home supporters.
Palace came closest to snatching all three points when Yeremy Pino, on as a substitute, forced Verbruggen into a save at his near post in the sixth minute of stoppage time but had to settle for just one after another busy few days.
