Brighton and Hove Albion vs Crystal Palace. Premier League.
Amex StadiumAttendance30,893.
Brighton and Hove Albion 1
- M Guehi (87th minute own goal)
Crystal Palace 3
- T Chalobah (27th minute)
- I Sarr (33rd minute, 82nd minute)
Brighton 1-3 Crystal Palace: Ismaila Sarr scores twice and Dean Henderson makes stunning saves to give Eagles bragging rights
Report and match highlights as Crystal Palace beat rivals Brighton at the Amex; Trevoh Chalobah gives Palace lead at corner; Ismaila Sarr nods in a second six minutes later; Dean Henderson makes superb second-half saves; Sarr scores his second and Palace's third; Marc Guehi nets own goal
Sunday 15 December 2024 20:29, UK
Ismaila Sarr was the Crystal Palace hero with a superb two-goal performance to earn his side a memorable 3-1 victory at rivals Brighton.
Sarr netted the second goal of a six-minute Palace double during the first half before capping a wonderful display by adding a third late in the second half.
Palace, now four points above the relegation zone, became the latest bottom-five side that Brighton, now winless in four and ninth, have failed to beat this season, adding to Ipswich, Wolves, Southampton and Leicester.
- As it happened: How brilliant Sarr and Henderson beat Brighton
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Trevor Chalobah's opener at a corner from a loose ball that dropped in the six-yard box after brushing Sarr's left arm was cleared by VAR but Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was furious with a different incident in the build-up to the goal. He felt referee Michael Oliver had impeded his midfielder Carlos Baleba during the Palace break that led to the set-piece.
"When the referee says after the game it's his mistake, I don't understand why he doesn't stop the game. It's unbelievable," said Hurzeler.
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Sarr compounded Hurzeler's frustration minutes later when he nodded home Tyrick Mitchell's left-wing cross to put Palace in dreamland.
Brighton had dominated the opening 25 minutes although had only forced Dean Henderson into one meaningful save from Kaoru Mitoma's early low drive.
However, it was a sign of things to come from Henderson, who was excellent after the break when Brighton brought on Juilio Enciso and moved to three at the back to launch wave after wave of attacks on the visiting goal.
Henderson stood up to the challenge, parrying Lewis Dunk's header from a corner and then tipping Enciso's curling effort around the right post.
Palace weathered the storm and had a Daniel Munoz tap-in ruled out for a foul on Pervis Estupinan before Sarr drove through the middle of the Brighton defence and finished coolly past Bart Verbruggen.
There was still time for Marc Guehi to be struck by a clearance in his own box at a corner which diverted the ball into the net for a Brighton consolation before Henderson capped his fine display with a sprawling save from Enciso's shot.
Henderson: Palace are in a false position - I felt unbeatable
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson told Sky Sports:
"It's absolutely massive. The fans have been patient with us this season. We are in a false position, we have great players and today it all clicked.
"We knew they would come out [in the second half] and it would be hard. Luckily I helped the team.
"When you're in that moment, you feel good, you feel unbeatable. Thankfully we got the third but unfortunately we conceded at the end.
"They [the fans] have been on at us all week, telling us you can be a hero if we win this game."
Sarr the star as Crystal Palace revival continues
If there was ever a time to have a near-perfect performance, your club's biggest game of the season is a good place to do it - just ask Ismaila Sarr.
The midfielder scored twice and assisted Crystal Palace's third in a match-winning turn against Brighton, earning him the Player of the Match accolade from co-commentator Lee Hendrie.
It is the second time he has managed to both score and assist in an away Premier League match this season, also doing so against Aston Villa. Only Liverpool's Mo Salah (3) has produced more such displays so far in the 2024/25 campaign.
Sarr topped the charts in a number of statistical categories too, and comes amid a much-needed uptick in form for the Eagles.
They are now unbeaten in their last five Premier League games - losing just once in the last eight - and have opened up a gap of four points from the bottom three.
Performances too have been far improved. Crystal Palace needed all of their defensive nous in the second half as Brighton threw the kitchen sink at them. An unlucky Marc Guehi goal aside, they did well to keep the Seagulls at bay.
Things finally seem to be clicking for the Eagles, who could easily have pulled the trigger on Oliver Glasner earlier this season. But they are being repaid for their faith, with Crystal Palace hitting the right heights ahead of the busy festive period.
Charlotte Marsh
Brighton lack ruthless streak to challenge for top four
Ipswich, Wolves, Southampton, Leicester and now Crystal Palace. Brighton have proved themselves to be no flat-track bullies against the league's bottom sides.
They squandered a two-goal lead at Leicester, wilted late on at Fulham and allowed Southampton to earn a point during their current four-game winless run.
The warning signs were there after conceding two improbable late goals in a 2-2 draw at home to Wolves in October. Brighton have thrown points away at will.
They flirted with the top four early in the season but are now at risk of missing out on European football altogether having spent £192m in the summer unless they become more ruthless.
David Richardson
Hurzeler: We lacked killer instinct
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler told Sky Sports:
"The goals we conceded are too easy. You can't concede these easy goals.
"We showed a good reaction in the second half, we had some big chances but then the game is getting more and more difficult because they are getting more and more compact.
"It is tough but we have to learn from these things and improve. In the end we had the chances. The goalkeeper saved two or three big chances but we were not clean enough in the final third. We missed the killer instinct to get the goal.
"It is tough because we have had several of these days where we have to talk after a bad experience. You have to let these lessons teach you and find a solution."
Glasner: We're looking up but can play better
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner told Sky Sports:
"We were always dangerous, we took our chances and it is great win for us and our fans.
"We look up, in front of us, and it was a massive chance for us to reduce the gap to the teams in front of us. But we don't talk about the table, we talk about our performance. The positive thing is we can play better.
"It's a very important game for us, it's a very important game for our fans and I told the players it was the best Christmas gift we could give them because they are always behind us."
