Crystal Palace 2-1 Brighton: Nine-man Eagles soar to win feisty A23 derby as Eberechi Eze produces pair of assists

Crystal Palace had to hold a agelong aged portion to bash the league treble implicit Brighton. 

Since 1932, to beryllium precise, erstwhile they were successful the Third Division South. Even Roy Hodgson was 14 years from being calved successful Croydon, arsenic if to underline the property it took them.

They could ne'er person envisaged ending that 93-year hold successful a mode arsenic gloriously ludicrous arsenic this. 

Daniel Munoz got the extremity which won it successful 55th minute, but this 'A23 derby' volition beryllium remembered amended for being a 2nd yellowish showdown astatine Selhurst Park.

Palace finished it with 9 players arsenic Eddie Nketiah and Marc Guehi were shown their 2nd cautions successful the 78th and 90th minutes. Brighton past saw Jan Paul van Hecke dismissed successful the sixth infinitesimal of stoppage clip to extremity with 10 men themselves.

It was full carnage and, successful truth, wasted arsenic a non-televised fixture. Consider this a futile rivalry if you must, fixed the 50-mile spread betwixt these clubs, but effort telling that to the Selhurst roar astatine full-time, oregon to Dean Henderson arsenic helium fto loose, oregon to Jean-Philippe Mateta arsenic helium sprinted from the substitutes' seat and connected to the transportation successful bid to celebrate.

Mateta had scored the opener for Palace earlier Danny Welbeck equalised. Munoz's onslaught was a bully 1 arsenic Eberechi Eze secured his 2nd assist, but my word, what a decorativeness we witnessed.

It started truthful serene, too. 

'Welcome to the location of the FA Cup semi-finalists,' the chap implicit the tannoy announced arsenic the teams emerged from the tunnel. 

It was a cheeky reminder that Palace won their quarter-final past Saturday whereas Brighton mislaid to miss retired connected a travel to Wembley.

Fabian Hurzeler's broadside had eyes connected Europe instead, entering this clash sitting eighth successful the Premier League, and yet it took them a fewer moments to crook up successful this A23 derby. By the clip the visitors realised they could compete, too, they were already trailing 1-0.

Mateta had already fooled Selhurst into reasoning helium had scored erstwhile helium struck the side-netting connected the crook aft a astute run. No matter, arsenic Palace's striker nabbed the opener for existent aft 139 seconds erstwhile helium was connected the determination yet again.

It started with Guehi charging from his ain fractional with the shot arsenic helium past laid it to Eze. He played successful Mateta and this clip with his near foot, helium struck sweetly beyond Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to unafraid an aboriginal lead. Mateta, with his garment tucked successful and sporting that protective headgear, celebrated with his trademark kicking of the country flag.

Only the fingertips of Verbruggen stopped Palace from scoring different erstwhile his goalkeeping counterpart Henderson launched a agelong shot into the last 3rd for Eze to chase. He controlled it, utilized snake hips to crook wrong past out, and truthful astir recovered the acold corner.

It was past that Brighton arrived with Carlos Baleba's 25-yard onslaught shoved distant by Henderson successful the 13th minute. Danny Welbeck raced connected to the rebound, but Palace's goalkeeper stopped him, too, with England manager Thomas Tuchel besides spending his Saturday astatine Selhurst.

After 27 minutes, Brighton team-mates Jack Hinshelwood and Yankuba Minteh engaged successful an statement aft a connection breakdown connected the right-hand side. But successful the 31st, they were backmost to being friends arsenic some were progressive successful it becoming 1-1.

The shot made its mode from Hinshelwood to Matt O'Riley to Minteh, who crossed arsenic Welbeck got successful beforehand of Munoz to toed it in. Brighton had drawn their past 5 trips to Palace successful the Premier League, truthful possibly determination was an inevitability that they would travel backmost astatine immoderate stage.

But successful the 55th infinitesimal came confirmation that this fixture, astatine agelong last, would not decorativeness 1 extremity apiece. Eze drove astatine Brighton's defence earlier teeing up Munoz, whose changeable swerved capable with the assistance of a deflection from Pervis Estupinan to compression beyond Verbruggen for 2-1.

In the 68th minute, Nketiah was introduced for Mateta. In the 69th, helium was booked for diving portion trying to triumph a punishment from Estupinan.

In the 78th infinitesimal arrived his 2nd yellow, arsenic Nketiah stuck up a precocious footwear successful a bid to power the ball. He caught Van Hecke successful the head. 

Referee Anthony Taylor lone had to perceive to the audible gasps from adjacent the location fans to cognize it was worthy of a caution, arsenic Nketiah apologised to the supporters for his 10 minutes of madness portion trudging towards the tunnel.

It got worse for Palace when, arsenic 12 minutes of stoppage clip were announced, Guehi was shown his ain 2nd yellowish for planting his studs into the thigh of Brighton substitute Brajan Gruda. He had received his archetypal caution for clumsily chopping down Van Hecke.

It was past successful the sixth infinitesimal of stoppage clip that Van Hecke tripped Daichi Kamada portion breaking behind. He excessively was already connected a yellowish and started walking to the tunnel. He knew his time was done earlier Taylor had adjacent reached the reddish retired of his pocket.

And so, the 9 players of Palace held connected to decision the 10 men of Brighton. Got your enactment backmost yet? Good.