Match Overview of a Fierce Rivalry at Amex Stadium
One of the strangest and most bitter rivalries takes place on Sunday, February 8th at 9:00 a.m. EST: the derby between Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. This derby is a contentious one because of the feud between the managers of each club having a feud in the 1970s. The derby is often called the M23 derby because of the road connecting the two cities with each other. Brighton is 1-6-3 in their last 10 Premier League matches, while Crystal Palace is 1-3-6 in their last 10 Premier League bouts. Palace has also been stretched with their participation in the Europa Conference League. With the match coming up, it will determine the fate of Fabian Hürzeler’s popularity with Brighton fans, Oliver Glasner’s determination despite Crystal Palace’s front office dismantling his resources and selling his players, and making up for the lackluster 0-0 draw of their first meeting this Premier League season.
Brighton Breakdown
Brighton has been struggling in the Premier League. The team’s only consistency is their inconsistency. For the past three seasons, they have been branded the draw specialists of the Premier League, and in their last ten matches, they have drawn six. More recently, last-minute goals have been a thorn in their side for the past two matches. These late goals from their opponents caused them to lose against Fulham and to draw against Everton, despite looking like the better and stronger team for that match. Their defensive line is a strong one, with Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke as the center defenders. However, in the Everton match, neither of them were marking Beto, who scored the equalizer and caused yet another draw. Brighton is capable of scoring goals with Danny Welbeck and new talent Charalampos Kostoulas.
Key players in the upcoming match will be Kaoru Mitoma. Mitoma is a dynamic Japanese winger who causes chaos and always draws one or two defenders to him like a magnet, which can free up more space in the penalty box. He has played 14 matches in the Premier League and scored two goals with one assist. Another key player is Carlos Baleba. The versatile midfielder commits to his challenges, but he can be a bit reckless and already has four yellow cards this season. Baleba’s talent overcomes some of his mistakes as he commits to gaining possession of the ball back and tracks back to aid in defense. His time at the AFCON for Cameroon has gotten him back in his stellar form.
Crystal Palace Breakdown
Crystal Palace sold their captain, Marc Guehi, to Manchester City and lost one of their prolific strikers, Jean-Philippe Mateta, to AC Milan. Guehi was a huge loss for their defensive line. Mateta is a significant blow to Palace’s offensive line. Manager Oliver Glasner has a conflict with Crystal Palace’s owners, and the tension in the squad could translate into their performance on the pitch. A key player to watch is Adam Wharton. The English midfielder has 20 appearances in the Premier League this season. He has not scored any goals yet this season, but he contributed two assists. Another key player is Crystal Palace’s new acquisition, Jørgen Strand Larsen. He was bought from the Championship-bound Wolverhampton Wanderers for $66 million.
Match Preview
The styles of play for each team will clash with each other. Hürzeler’s Brighton relies on heavy possession and building out from the back. Meanwhile, Glasner’s Crystal Palace does not need to have a lot of possession. Glasner focuses more on breakaway goals and quick tempo changes to rapid attacks on the opposition's goal. Due to the intense nature of this rivalry, the tempo of this match will be high-paced despite Brighton’s tendency to slow down play with passes on the back line in the middle of the pitch. In contrast, Palace is more direct and quicker in transition down the pitch. Despite being injury-ridden, Brighton has a deep bench. Hürzeler’s substitutions have turned the tide of previous matches, specifically in the quadruple change in the victory over Manchester City back in August. His substitutions could change the tempo of this upcoming match, too. In this high-stakes match, Hürzeler must prove his tactics work for the fans as they have been calling for his removal. Brighton must be consistent throughout both halves with their energy level. On the other hand, the remaining Crystal Palace players must fill in the gaps from the two prominent players they have lost.
Match Expectations and Prediction
Viewers and fans should expect Brighton to gain a lot of possession against Crystal Palace. Brighton’s style relies heavily on passes through the lines, the wingers moving the ball down the sides of the field, and long balls from the goalkeeper to the wingers. Crystal Palace will have a strong defensive line. Palace will not be focused as much on possession since they prefer quick transitions and rapid movement of the ball towards their opponent’s goal. The game’s style will have plenty of tension due to the nature of this derby. Another thing to keep in mind is the impact that injuries will have on these lineups. Brighton has many players who are out on long-term injuries, including Solly March, Adam Webster, and Stefanos Tzimas. All three players are expected to be out until the end of the season. Yasin Ayari is out for this match because of the shoulder injury he sustained against Everton. Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada is out with a thigh injury. Cheick Doucoure is not available because of a knee injury. The Amex’s atmosphere from fans has been dull the past few matches, but viewers should expect rowdiness from both sides of the supporters due to the longstanding rivalry. Brighton seems to have a slight edge over Palace simply due to the calmness of their squad rather than the loss of high-profile players and contention between the manager and the club owners on Palace’s side. All in all, I predict this match will end in a tightly contested 1-1 draw.
