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This is what I did. I’m off for tea and a mince pie. Thanks for reading and your emails. Until next time!
Match report
Ed Aarons was at Selhurst Park.
This is the place This result leaves both teams.
End of the match: Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton
Every square. The palace breathes a sigh of relief.
94 minutes: Palace have 11 players behind the ball, holding on to their points.
92 minutes: After 10 minutes of clumsy play, Palace regained a little composure and enjoyed a bit of much-needed possession. Dunk does well to beat Ulis after a dangerous through ball.
90 minutes: Five extra minutes were added on at a worried Selhurst Park.
89 minutes: Twice Brighton comes close! Joao Pedro shot a powerful ball that was blocked by Andersen on the edge of the Palace penalty area, before another (strange) opportunity for Brighton. Henderson comes out to clear a through ball but the goalkeeper fires the ball past the onrushing Welbeck. The ball cannoned off Welbeck’s face, rolling wide of an open Palace goal.
87 minutes: Joey is a lucky boy. The England centre-back tried to clear the ball out of play but did not have the speed required to get out for the goal kick. Moder steps in to take the ball but is adjudged to have committed a foul against a Palace defender! Never a mistake. Moder won the ball fairly well inside the area, and Brighton almost scored!
85 minutes: Mituma was pulled over and injured. He got hit in the box a few minutes ago. Moder enters the match against Brighton.
84 minutes: Eze has had two chances since his arrival, but it is Brighton who look more likely to win now.
Goal! Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton (Welbeck 82)
A goal from nothing! Gross sends a hopeful ball into the penalty area. Welbeck, standing on the spot, was well marked by Richards but the former England striker headed home into the top corner. He had no right to do so from where he was. But Henderson couldn’t reach him! Stamp stuff.
80 minutes: Mitoma descends into the box. Brighton claimed a penalty, but it looked as if the Japanese winger lost his balance and collapsed in a heap. Mitoma looks sore though. He’s limping.
77 minutes: Matita was clearly touched by her words of encouragement, and gently gave him a shoulder to send Donk to the shops, moving forward. The palace has a man, and he is Ez! But the Palace man ducked inside, allowing Van Hecke to recover, and the Brighton defender made a brilliant save!
75 minutes: Palace fans, is Mateta really that good? I know it’s a bit good, but is it really that good? Because he’s fine again this evening.
73 minutes: Lallana comes on for Henshilwood.
70 minutes: “Much has been written about De Zerbe’s sophisticated style of play, yet I see the experienced Mr Hodgson doing a good job. He reminds me of a line from the Bible: There’s nothing new under the sun.
Hodgson, feeling enlightened, pitches Eze for Jordan Ayew.
Regarding the above tweet, can I just point out how much I despise this habit of clubs/pundits/journalists/anyone (except maybe fans) of referring to players by… Just Their first names.
69 minutes: Shorten the cling here a bit. More chaos in the penalty area when Henderson comes in from a cross, flutters slightly, and loses the ball to a group of bodies, before that crowd saves Van Hecke’s shot. Brighton is getting closer.
67 minutes: Another opportunity for visitors! Gross reached the sideline and sent a low cross across the Palace goal but Henshilwood deflected his goal into the stand! Awesome ending. It is true that the young right-back was under pressure, but he should have scored the goal. And he knows it.
65 minutes: Back comes Brighton. They are the dominant side now. Bonannotti and Gilmour both excelled in the Crystal Palace goal, with the latter making an excellent save from a shot from Henderson, low to his left.
63 minutes: Only Liverpool have gained more points from losing positions this season than Brighton (12).
61 minutes: This game exists for both sides. Buonanotte has looked lively since he came on, feeding Mitoma well a few minutes ago, but the Japanese’s shot was weak.
59 minutes: Palace makes a change: Uzoh replaces Hughes, who has been booked. A big cheer goes up from the home side. Uzoh is very popular and made a good impression against City last time out.
57 minutes: Another reservation. Igor is the last to be warned after Ulysses is cut down.
55 minutes: Brighton is really heating up right now. This game has come to life. The visitors come forward with all the guile and ingenuity of Alan Pardew at a south London disco, playing some brilliant football that ends with Welbeck backheeling in front of Henshilwood. The teenager went down inside the penalty area, but replays show he shot the ball rather than being fouled. Brighton protest but VAR waves continue.
53 minutes: Another yellow card for Palace, as Mitchell and Richards back Bonannotti to stop another dangerous counter-attack. From the free kick, Brighton had the best chance of the match! Dunk rises above Andersen but he fires his header just inches wide of the far post! Henderson was rooted in place!
51 minutes: Mateta beats Dunk, which is a huge achievement, and almost beats Verbruggen on the rebound. The Brighton keeper had something to block Mateta’s toe strike and was lucky to collect the rebound. Verbruggen almost slipped out of his box!
50 minutes: From a Brighton corner kick, Welbeck directed a header towards goal, but Ayew blocked the way. He didn’t know much about that! You wouldn’t call it a goal-line clearance, but it was certainly an important block!
49 minutes: Yellow for Hughes, who caught Gross in midfield when Brighton were dangerously breaking up attacks. A sarcastic one.
47 minutes: The Palace of the Strongest Beginning. A corner was cleared and the home side then fired a penalty as Gross held down Hughes inside the box. that it probably Smart defense, not a mistake. Not what home fans think, of course.
Peeeeeep! We’re out in Selhurst Park.
De Zerbe made two changes in the first half. The Brighton manager doesn’t mess around.
Houellebecq and Buonanot are there. Adingra and Baleba are out.
I must say that Adingra was not happy at all against Mitchell in the right half. A defensive masterpiece from Palace’s left back.
Read half the time. Unfortunately, there are no Palace players, but there is one Brighton player on our list. Click to see who.
End of the first half: Crystal Palace 1-0 Brighton
Ayew’s second goal of the season He’s not prolific, but Palace fans really appreciate the Ghanaian, and they have another reason to love him here.
Goal! Crystal Palace 1-0 Brighton (AEO 45)
The palace is in the foreground! Verbruggen loses the ball, Hughes and Ollies pounce on the loose ball and the latter puts in a beautiful cross at the back post. Brighton, having lost the ball in their own area, are all at sea defensively, struggling to come back. Ayew ghosts inside and has a simple header at the back post. Lead the home side!
41 minutes: Important update. Pascal Gross is very good. He just always picks the right pass. Such an intelligent player, you can see why he is in Germany’s squad these days. For Brighton, he plays an inverted De Bruyne, in deep half-spaces on the left wing, launching swinging crosses towards the back post, just as De Bruyne does from the right.
“Beer enthusiast. Subtly charming alcohol junkie. Wannabe internet buff. Typical pop culture lover.”
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