As it happened: Crystal Palace land a killer blow late on to secure all three points at Brighton

 

A goal from both of Roy Hodgson's striking options, on either side of half-time, provides catharsis to the Eagles' manager's future.

The result only tells a fraction of the story as Graham Potter will be leaving the Amex Stadium in bitterness.

An extraordinary game that saw both of Crystal Palace's only touches in the opposition box bring goals.

A win that means so much to the fans!

 

Ayew carries the ball forward, just like he has done all game, before laying it off to Andros Townsend.

The winger smashes it across the face of goal to the Belgian, who lands a killer blow to Brighton.

The Seagulls have dominated all game from the first to the last minute, but Benteke shines!

A really entertaining second-half so far with a twist in the tale yet to occur.

Eberechi Eze looks disappointed as he is subbed off for James McCarthy for the remaining passages of play.  

There is two minutes plus stoppage time left for Brighton to find a winner in a match that they have dominated and created an entourage of chances in.

A rivalry that means so much to fans, yet neither team can find the net for the second time!

One thing is for certain and that's that Eze has been almost non-existent in this fixture.

He just had a rare opportunity to surge forward following a short Brighton corner; Veltman bundled him over and took a yellow card as a sacrifice.

The game is still hanging in the balance and it looks like Brighton are closest to an elusive second. However, Palace remain strong at the back.

Jahanbakhsh is on via a substitution that sees Pascal Groß come off.

A straight swap sees Mateta pave way for Benteke to have a chance at breaking the deadlock.

Mateta will be happy with his only contribution of the night.

 

Maupay picks the ball up on the left flank and nutmegs Luka Milivojevic, yielding another chance for Brighton to take the lead.

His shot is too tame to trouble the Eagles' goalkeeper...

Crystal Palace have hardly touched the ball this second half. Roy Hodgson will surely be looking to add a few faces to the contest to try and change the scoreline.

Brighton continue to flood the Palace box, Lallana with the latest chance after yet another Burn cross.

Alexis MacAllister makes way for Adam Lallana via a substitution.

A like for like swap to hopefully change the dynamism of the Brighton attack and find a winner.

Brighton have the wind in their sails, MacAllister weaves a ball through to Welbeck but there is too much weight to the pass.

Corner follows, nothing comes of it... 

Brighton have the taste for a second now, they are playing with their tails up.

Chaotic scenes in the Eagles box leads to an overhaul of shots coming in the direction of Guaita's goal.

No one could find the decisive shot and the game remains 1-1, a break in play after Koyate goes down suits the visitor's gameplan. 

Step forward, Veltman. The Brighton midfielder picks up on a loose ball just outside the six-yard box and swings a left-footed shot away from the grasp of Vicente Guaita. He finished a scramble in the box like a seasoned finisher, though it was his first goal in two years...

Jordan Ayew wins a tackle and a subsequent free-kick to relieve the Eagles defensive pressure.

The wide-man has been ubiquitous tonight, playing a significant role in all areas of the pitch.

A well-worked Dan Burn cross was stabbed into the penalty area. His cross met a Brighton shot that rebounded off of Welbeck and just wide for a Guaita goal kick.

The Seagulls are trying to work the ball quicker early on...

The Seagulls get the ball rolling for the second-half as they look to penetrate a compact Palace defensive block.

For Hodgson and his men, they will be hoping for more of the same...

Danny Welbeck is coming on for Steven Alzate, a switch to help Brighton's attacking endeavours.

 

"Be careful what you wish for"- that was what Hodgson addressed fans of the SE25 club this week.

The Englishman has answered his critics so far, he will be smiling so far tonight after Mateta opened his account in a rare Eagles attack.

Crystal Palace have come to frustrate the Eagles and that they have achieved. A brilliant gameplan so far!

Brighton have no doubt been the better attacking team of the first-half. However, they're lacking the cutting edge to crop a clear-cut chance or two in the last remaining interventions of the half.

 

There is no doubt that Palace are playing with a little bit of a spring in their step now, but Brighton are still creating better chances with more frequency.

However, the Eagles have something to defend, causing a headache for Graham Potter on the sidelines.

Veltman dummies Townsend and wins a free-kick on the right flank, giving the Seagulls another opportunity.

A corner comes from it after a Joel Ward block...

The Eagles have found their fluidity since the goal, it seems that the goal has injected a bit of confidence.

This is the seventh time Brighton have gone a goal down, only once have they found a win from this position.

 

Out of nothing, Ayew finds some space down the right, making a cascading run to the touchline.

He whips a cross into the path of Jean-Phillipe Mateta, who backheels the ball into the back of the net for the Eagles.

That is exactly what Hodgson arrived to achieve, a goal that changes the landscape of the night for the home side.

Domination in many areas without any real penetration, this has been the story of Brighton's season and it continues here.

A lot of crosses are going into the area, but the ball continues to evade the reach of a Seagull player. 

This is why Brighton find themselves only four points above the dropzone.

searching for a bit of punch to their possession, Veltman teases an inviting ball to Neal Maupay, who gets beaten to the ball by Kouyate.

Some slick football from Brighton almost got them a goal...

Still soaking up pressure, you can hear Roy Hodgson beckoning his team forward, demanding more confidence on the ball.

The addition of Jairo Riedewald in midfield, along with having both Eze and Townsend on the left side, should urge a fluid outlook.

Despite this, the Eagles look nervous to click into gear, allowing no room for possessive football and transition.

Roy Hodgson has adopted a 'sit back' approach in the first ten minutes, a move that will hopefully prevent their poor record of conceding early goals from continuing.

Alzate is finding himself in really good positions but the Palace defensive block looks characteristically strong.

The duo upfront for the Seagulls, who were effective at carving out opportunities in the Aston Villa game, almost linked up.

A poor touch from Maupay ends the attack but Graham Potter will take away a lot of positives from the early interventions.

Pascal groß takes the first corner of the game, lofting a deep cross into the Palace box, evading all his teammates.

Brighton have had the lion's share of possession so far, Hodgson will hope they can gain some momentum through attacks on the break.

Usually, the wide duo of Andros Townsend and Eberechi Eze is on the opposite wing, however, it seems that Townsend is playing on the left with Eze just inside.

Mateta looks to be the lone striker in tonight's game. A compact shape to start with. 

We're underway here at the Amex; Palace are in all white and Brighton in their usual blue strip. 

 

Strap yourselves in, lets hope it's a good one! 

It's a nerve-racking affair for each set of fans, the Amex Stadium plays host to a rivalry tonight.

Remember to stay tuned here for live updates as we begin the countdown to kick-off and the countdown to the safe return of fans to stadiums in May!

Despite fans outside of the match tonight claim it to be a derby, we can confirm that it isn't, but a fierce rival nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

The game is live on Sky Sports Main Event, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 on Monday evening. If you want to follow it online, VAVEL UK is your best option!

Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Guaita; Van Aanholt, Dann, Kouyate, Clyne; Schlupp, Riedewald, McArthur, Eze; Benteke, Zaha.

Brighton (4-1-3-2): Sanchez; Burn, Dunk, White, Veltman; Bissouma; Alzate, MacAllister, Groß; Maupay, Trossard. 

 

Crystal Palace will again be without Wilfried Zaha (hamstring), but James McCarthy has returned to training.

Adam Webster (ankle) is being assessed for Brighton & Hove Albion, but Tariq Lamptey remains out.

Danny Welbeck and Alireza Jahanbakhsh are both available for the Seagulls.

 

Brighton have never won a Premier League match on a Monday and they face a visit from their fiercest rivals tonight, Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have won three of their last six league matches at Brighton (D1 L2), as many as they had in their previous 35 trips to the coast.

Brighton vs Crystal Palace will be played at the Amex Stadium, in Brighton, England. The kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 GMT.

Welcome to VAVEL UK's LIVE coverage of the 2020/21 Premier League match: Brighton vs Crystal Palace! My name is Robin Mumford and I'll be your host for this game. We will provide you with pre-game analysis, roster updates and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.com.