Match Preview: Brighton v Crystal Palace
The second of seven games in a manic December for Brighton and Hove Albion comes as arch rivals Crystal Palace visit the Amex.
Last season’s Sussex meeting between the two could have provided a cure for insomnia on the pitch but there were plenty of fireworks off it. Quite literally in the away end, where ticketless Palace supporters smashed their way into the South Stand to leave genuine fans who’d paid for entrance stuck outside. There was also trouble in town beforehand, with some Eagles’ fans skipping school to grafiti over the mural of Bruno in the city centre.
As a result of their loss of control through sheer incompotence, Sussex Police tried to claim that Palace fans had turned up with knifes and knuckledusters which, needless to say, was proved to be untrue. Fingers crossed that they’ve got a grip on things this time and that the only sparks that fly come on the pitch.
Who are Crystal Palace?
Crystal Palace were formed in 1905 and spent the first 64 years of their existence bouncing around the second and third tiers of English football. In 1969, they claimed their first promotion to the top flight under the Dick Head managerial partnership of Dick Graham and Bert Head. Bar a brief spell back in the third tier in the mid-70’s, they’ve spent the last 50 years bouncing between the top two divisions. Financial management hasn’t been their strongest asset with two spells in administration coming in 1999 and 2010 in which they spent far beyond their means in attempts to return to the top flight, ripping off the taxpayer in the process. Classy.
What are they like now?
You probably don’t need reminding that Palace won promotion to the Premier League in 2013 through the play-offs and have been there ever since. Since then, they’ve developed a yearly routine of starting the season poorly, sacking their manager and then improving beyond all recognition to finish well clear of the drop zone. Both Tony Pulis and Roy Hodgson achieved 11th placed finishes from pretty hopeless looking positions with everyone’s favourite GIF star Hodgson still in charge this season. A ridiculously tough run of games had them struggling early on but there were ominous signs of a return to form on Saturday when they tore Burnley apart at Selhurst Park.
Which players should we be worried about?
Any team in the Premier League would be worried about facing Wilfried Zaha, but the Albion have particular reason to be concerned given his outrageous record against us. Tom Daley’s apprentice scored twice in Palace’s 3-2 win at Selhurst Park last season and he notched a double when the Eagles knocked Gus Poyets side out of the Championship play off semi finals in 2013 at the Amex. Aside from Zaha, Jay from The Eagles Beak website highlighed young right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka as the latest product of Palace’s academy to keep an eye on.
What’s the Albion’s record against Crystal Palace like?
The head-to-head is actually pretty even with Brighton having won 37 to Palace’s 35 games. Over the past 30 years though only an Albion fan wearing the most blue and white tinted spectacles could claim that we’ve had the better of the rivalry. Even in the two seasons in which we have finished above Palace, they’ve had the last laugh by becoming the first opposition side to win a league game at the Amex in 2011-12 and then winning promotion the following year.
What’s the best WeAreBrighton.com memory of Crystal Palace at home?
The only home league win over Palace for a generation came in March 2013. Leonardo Ulloa scored twice and David Lopez once as the Eagles were blown away in what became known as the St Patrick’s Day Massacre. Having seen his side destroy Palace in such convincing fashion with Will Buckley and Kazenga LuaLua flying down the flanks, it remains an absolute mystery as to why Poyet then changed formation and personnel for that play off semi final second leg.
What’s the worst WeAreBrighton.com memory of Crystal Palace at home?
That play off semi final second leg. Nothing more to be said.
Whose played for both sides?
Another fine Poyet cock up saw him not offer Glenn Murray the money that he wanted to sign a new deal in the summer of 2011 with the striker leaving on a free to join Palace. He went onto fire them to promotion before eventually returning to the Albion in 2016, repeating the trick with us and going onto score a century of Brighton goals since. One less-heralded striker to have played for both is Calvin Andrew who scored three hugely important goals on loan from Palace in Russell Slade’s great escape of 2009 while goalkeeper Scott Flinders, left back Gary Borrowdale and waste-of-space Stephen Dobbie have also played for both in the past 10 years or so.
Other than football, what is Crystal Palace famous for?
The football club and area is named after the Crystal Palace which originally stood in Hyde Park and was used to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Great Exhibition was one of Prince Albert’s better ideas alongside Christmas trees and dodgy piercings and involved over 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathering to display examples of technology developed during the Industrial Revolution. In 1854, the Crystal Palace was relocated to Sydenham in South London, where it stood until it burnt down in 1936. In honour of this fire, the locals of Croydon decided to burn down half their own town in 2011.
Where’s the betting value for Brighton v Crystal Palace?
At this stage in the season, both Chris Hughton and Hodgson’s overriding priority will be to avoid defeat against a relegation rival. We saw in last season’s 0-0 draw at the Amex just what a dull encounter that can provide. The draw at 2/1 looks good value while given Zaha’s liking for scoring against the Albion and Murray’s penchant for netting against his former teams, you can take those two to score anytime at 31/20 and 43/20 respectively with FansBet, who return a percentage of their profits to supporters’ causes.
Prediction
A low score draw, either 0-0 or 1-1. And hopefully there won’t be any Palace fans smashing down turnstiles on this occasion.
