Neal Maupay
After such a smash and grab performance at the Amex in February, it might as well have been written in the stars that Brighton would inflict similar punishment on Palace at their ground at some point.
The goal itself was a great example of the cutthroat nature of Premier League football, whereby players who have almost perfect games switch off at the last minute and get punished for it.
Vicente Guaita had made a number of good saves leading up to the goal but his goal kick straight down the middle of the pitch was poor - it had to go wide and into the congested area of players towards the dugouts.
Marc Guehi had also had a very good game, but his failure to get anything on the ball played over him is another instance of a lapse in concentration when it mattered most.
After the match, Patrick Vieira summed the goal up as "brutal" but was ultimately pleased with how his side performed for long periods of the game. He said: “It is brutal, and I am really disappointed for the players. They worked hard to get that win. To concede a goal like that is brutal.
“We are improving, we are getting stronger. Our collective game, the way we played with and without the ball, is really united."
The Press
To his credit, Vieira got his tactics spot on for Monday's match. The team selection had Odsonne Edouard starting ahead of Christian Benteke, and within the first five minutes, his mobility showed why Vieira made that decision.
Palace's energy in the opening half an hour was immense. Time and time again they were forcing Brighton into mistakes, winning the ball high up and the pitch and causing Robert Sanchez all kinds of problems when the ball went back to him.
Tyrick Mitchell was effectively playing at left-wing during this period, with Zaha, Edouard and Jordan Ayew then joined by a rampaging Conor Gallagher to help nullify Brighton's game at the source.
Their tireless efforts were rewarded at the end of the half when Wilfried Zaha put them ahead from the penalty spot, but this did not stop them from continuing to press high throughout the second half. This is how Palace had their best chances of the game, with their press creating opportunities for Jordan Ayew and Edouard in the second half that both players should have done better with.
Substitutions
Although Vieira's tactics were on point for the match, there are still some doubts over his in-game management, in particular his use of substitutes against Brighton.
With 20 minutes of the match remaining, Edouard was replaced by Benteke, while club captain Luka Milivojevic came off for Cheikhou Kouyate at the same time.
This seemed like a turning point for Palace, and barring the chance for Ayew that followed just after Benteke's introduction they threatened very little following the changes.
Vieira might have hoped that the physical presence of Kouyate and Benteke would have helped Palace control the match and nullify any Brighton hopes of a way back into the match, but instead, the team shrunk somewhat after the changes and invited more pressure onto them.
Jeffrey Schlupp's inclusion from the bench late on was the most baffling, however. The Ghanaian has only just returned from a hamstring injury and Vieira put him on ahead of Michael Olise, who has impressed in the few cameos he's been given in recent weeks.
Vieira has made a point this season of not rushing players back from injury, but Schlupp's appearance seemed to go against that. It also meant another week will go by without an appearance for Will Hughes.
Ayew chance
Although at the time it didn't seem it, Ayew's missed chance now looks like a huge wasted opportunity for Palace.
Had that effort gone in it's more than likely that Palace would have held on and secured all three points, which makes it even more disappointing that the Ghanaian didn't even hit the target.
Ayew's last goal for Palace was in November 2020, and the calls for him to be replaced in the team by Michael Olise are growing as each week goes by.
After the match, Vieira didn't mince his words about what he had to do to help the winger. He said: "It was important but when he doesn’t score, especially a forward there’s a lack of confidence and self-belief. My responsibility is to bring him back to what we know he can do, he has to find his confidence and he can score goals."
