Brighton 0 - 1 Crystal Palace - Eagles edge evenly-matched derby

One goal was enough to settle a tightly fought battle between rivals Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace this afternoon (Saturday, February 29).
Jordan Ayew celebrates with Christian Benteke after giving Crystal Palace a second-half lead. Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty ImagesJordan Ayew celebrates with Christian Benteke after giving Crystal Palace a second-half lead. Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images
Jordan Ayew celebrates with Christian Benteke after giving Crystal Palace a second-half lead. Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images

It was an even first half with chances at both ends but the game's most heated moment came after a spat between Albion substitute Ezequiel Schelotto and Crystal Palace's Wilfred Zaha.

On the pitch, Solly March twice went close for Brighton but Benteke could, and probably should, have put the Eagles ahead a few minutes in when he put a scuffed volley wide.

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Brighton dictated the play for much of the second half but it was Palace who struck the killer blow when Mat Ryan couldn't get a strong enough hand behind Jordan Ayew's effort.

Despite finishing the game with more than double their opponents' efforts on goal, Albion couldn't find a way past Vincente Guaita signalling a disappointing derby defeat.

Nothing separates the sides in heated first half

Brighton head coach Graham Potter admitted he was excited by the prospect of his first home match against rivals Crystal Palace. The clash took on added importance on Saturday lunchtime, with Brighton just four points above the Premier League relegation zone and with games to come against Wolves, Arsenal and Leicester next month, and there are meetings with Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City in April.

Potter made three changes to the side that started the 1-1 draw at Sheffield United with Leandro Trossard, Martin Montoya and Solly March replacing Shane Duffy, Glenn Murray and Ezequiel Schelotto.

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Albion were also boosted by the return of midfielder Dale Stephens, who made the bench, after missing two games with a groin injury. It was a day of century landmarks as Lewis Dunk marked 100 Premier League appearances whilst Davy Propper made his 100th appearance for the club.

Roy Hodgson, who took charge of Crystal Palace for the 100th time in the Premier League, stuck with the side that started the 1-0 win over Newcastle.

Brighton, as expected, started with more of the ball against a Palace side which thrives on the counter attack. Albion, following a great wing-back to wing-back cross, went close with Neal Maupay firing wide from a difficult angle.

However, the Eagles had the game's first real opening, with Christian Benteke getting on the end of a good through ball. With only the keeper to beat, the striker didn't get the connection he would have wanted on the volley and it went harmlessly wide of the target

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Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté found himself in a good position in front of goal minutes later but Mat Ryan was quick to smother the ball before the midfielder could get a shot away.

Albion's, whose wing-backs impressed and linked up the play well, then went close up the other end. After Neal Maupay's low shot was turned away, captain Lewis Dunk, making his 100th Premier League appearance, had a header well blocked before Vicente Guaita was just able to claim the ball.

The most heated moment in the first half involved Brighton substitute Ezequiel Schelotto who was booked after appearing to kick the ball at Wilfred Zaha.

After a pause in play, Brighton put together a fantastic counter-attack which very nearly led to an opener by Solly March. However, the wide man couldn't match the quality of would-be assist provider Leonardo Trossard, putting his effort into the side netting.

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March, who became more of a forward as the half went on, was able to find the space for another effort on goal, after the cutting in from the right, but his strike was too close to the keeper.

Eagles edge end-to-end encounter

Albion started the second half on the front foot, winning an early corner after Scott Dann intercepted Aaron Mooy's pass to Neal Maupay. From the resulting corner, Dunk put a powerful header on target, and it looked to be going in before hitting his teammate Maupay in the face.

Maupay, in the centre of the second-half action, found himself in on goal but he could only direct his effort straight at Vicente Guaita after a touch of fortune about Mooy's through pass.

The game quickly reverted back to an end-to-end encounter, with Benteke putting a shot just wide before Mooy fired an effort past the post.

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Looking to give his side more of an impetus up front, Potter brought on veteran Glenn Murray for March with 25 minutes to play.

However, after a number of harmless shots at the Palace goal, it was the visitors who found a 70th minute breakthrough when Jordan Ayew cooly finished past Ryan after being found by Benteke.

It was a harsh blow to Brighton who had seen most of the ball, whilst also creating some good chances to no avail. Potter responded by bringing on Alireza Jahanbakhsh for Martin Montoya with the game approaching the final ten minutes.

Trossard, looking to spark an equaliser, played a delightful pass into Dan Burn, whose cross was cleared, before Aaron Mooy had a shot deflected away.

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Potter's side put on the pressure in the final stages but didn't create any chances worthy of a late equaliser.

Brighton: Ryan, Montoya (Jahanbakhsh 78), Dunk, Webster, Burn, Pröpper, Bissouma (Alzate 82), March (Murray 66), Mooy, Trossard, Maupay

Unused subs: Stephens, Groß, Schelotto, Button, Alzate

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Dann, Cahill, van Aanholt, Kouyaté, McCarthy (Riedewald 45), McArthur, Ayew, Benteke (Tosun 86), Zaha

Unused subs: Milivojevic, Meyer, Townsend, Hennessey, Kelly,