Brighton v Crystal Palace preview: Rivalry renewed on south coast
After the 4-0 thumping of West Ham in their last AMEX outing, the Italian boss will be looking to guide his side to successive home wins with accompanying 4+ goal hauls for the first time since April 2016, and Brighton will certainly be confident of at least securing the points having won four of their last five games on their own turf (L1).
Palace may prove tricky opponents though, as although the Seagulls edge the all-time H2H (W40, D30, L38), they’re without a win in this fixture since March 2019 (D5, L2).
Patrick Vieira’s men make the relatively short journey south on the back of a limp ten-match Premier League (PL) winless run (D5, L5).
An eleventh without a victory would be their worst run since a 14-match streak between December 2015 and April 2016, with this current miserable period not only leaving Palace just three points clear of the relegation zone, but also leaving Vieira feeling “concerned” about their treacherous position.
The Palace boss expressed his frustration at a “lack of attention and organisation” in conceding a second-half penalty en route to a 1-0 loss against Manchester City last time out.
It’s at the top end of the pitch where Palace are really struggling though, as that defeat saw them become the first team to fail to register a shot on target in three consecutive PL games since records began.
Players to watch: Brighton’s World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has directly contributed to three goals in his last two appearances (G2, A1), but he’s never won a personal H2H against Palace.
Wilfried Zaha is a man who loves this fixture though, netting eight times in 14 appearances against the Seagulls, whilst he’s also collected five yellow cards.
Hot stat: Eight of Brighton’s 12 PL home games have been level at half-time this season (HT: W2, L2).
