Match Preview – Brighton v Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace – the team
Whisper it quietly, but Palace have been the superior side of the two over the last 30 odd years. Only twice in that time have we finished above them, and even then they managed to secure bragging rights – in 2011/12, they became the first visiting team to win a league game at the Amex, and then in 2012/13 they knocked us out of the play offs on their way to winning promotion to the top flight. It’s therefore been very enjoyable to see them endure the worst start any team has made to a Premier League season while we currently sit in the top half of the table. Times they are a changing and with Palace having an expensively assembled squad of mercenaries and a stadium that someone from the middle ages would consider dated, now is the time for Brighton to become the dominant side in the rivalry for the first time in a generation.
Crystal Palace – the place
Palace come from Selhurst which is in the Borough of Croydon. The locals of love their town so much that they famously decided to set fire to it during the London Riots of 2011. Stupid bastards.
Crystal Palace – the people
Famous Palace supporters include Eddie Izzard and Jay from The Inbetweeneers. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to live in the Selhurst area. Presumably the high crime levels gave him inspiration to become one of the best writers of that genre of books around.
A good WeAreBrighton.com memory of Crystal Palace at home
Gus Poyet was at his knobbish best when he tried to tell anyone who would listen that the Albion’s real rivalry should be with Southampton. Despite that, he did give us one of our best days against Palace in the 3-0 St a Patrick’s Day Massacre at the Amex, including a stunning free kick from David Lopez which remains one of the best goals the ground has seen.
A bad WeAreBrighton.com memory of Crystal Palace at home
Having hammered Palace with two out and out wingers less two months previously, Poyet displayed more knobbish behaviour by ripping up the game plan with the result being a 2-0 play off semi final second leg defeat. Palace went on to win promotion at Wembley and Poyet took to the airwaves to complain about a lack of money, claiming finishing fourth in the Championship represented our glass ceiling. How’s that glass ceiling looking now, by the way?
Played for both
A certain Glenn Murray fired the Albion to promotion from League One. He then went to Palace to fire them to promotion from the Championship. And then he came back to Brighton to fire us to promotion from the Championship. There can’t be a man who enjoys the affection of both sets of fans as much as him.
Dangermen
Wilfried Zaha was the difference between the two sides back in that play off meetings and he remains Palace’s most dangerous player. When you look at their squad on paper, the likes of Andros Townsend, Christian Benteke and Yohan Cabaye should not be in a relegation battle. Which makes their current situation all the more pleasing.
Betting
Murray has a remarkable record of scoring against his former clubs – he has four goals against us, three of which came for Palace after all – and he is good value to net anytime tonight.
Prediction
Form and league positions tend to go out of the window in derby games. We’re sitting on the fence and going 1-1 as a result.
