Crystal Palace are set to host the latest edition of the M23 Derby, as they take on a Brighton & Hove Albion side eager to stitch together consistent results.
Crystal Palace ended a four-game winless run and have won three on the bounce heading into Sunday for the latest edition of the M23 Derby against Brighton & Hove Albion. Selhurst Park plays host, with the venue one of the five in the division yet to taste defeat this season in the Premier League.
Oliver Glasner’s men began their three-game winning run with a victory over Liverpool at Anfield in the EFL Cup, and then followed that with a convincing 2-0 result at home to Brentford. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the opener before Nathan Collins put the ball into his own net. The Eagles then banished their UEFA Europa Conference League disappointment with a win over AZ Alkmaar.
Crystal Palace are currently in ninth place but only three points behind second-placed Manchester City ahead of the game against Brighton & Hove Albion. With four of the teams above them playing each other this weekend, the Eagles could have a chance to massively climb up and even momentarily move into second. Overall, Oliver Glasner has a big task at hand, especially against their revered rivals.
While the hosts are in flying form, Brighton & Hove Albion are looking to build some level of consistency in the team. The Seagulls are coming at the back of a much-needed win over Leeds United last weekend, but before that, they exited the EFL Cup at the hands of Arsenal.
Some of their recent outcomes have been mixed. Those include wins over Chelsea and Newcastle United and losses to Manchester United and Arsenal. Despite their inconsistent run, Fabian Hurzeler’s side are only sitting a point behind Crystal Palace, and a win in the M23 Derby will allow them to climb up a few places at the very least.
Brighton & Hove Albion have had a good run of six unbeaten games in this fixture before Crystal Palace recorded a double last season. Mateta and Daniel Munoz were on the scoresheet in April last season at Selhurst Park, and Glasner will hope for a repeat of that performance on Sunday.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner may place Ismaila Sarr for a late assessment after the attacker was withdrawn in in the second half of the midweek UEFA Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar. The decision could have been a precaution of sorts as the Senegalese winger continues to manage a previously suffered hamstring problem.
If fit, Sarr will start in the attacking setup alongside Jean-Philippe Mateta and Yeremy Pino. Eddie Nketiah is absent with a hamstring issue, while Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure are unlikely to make this game.
Oliver Glasner will continue to name a familiar squad that has done so well this season, with Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada pairing up in the middle of the park. Similarly, the Crystal Palace manager is unlikely to change his defensive personnel against Brighton, centrally and on the wings.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler has a relatively fit squad ahead of the M23 Derby, as the team welcomed back Joel Veltman from a foot issue. Whether the Dutch defender starts is another question, one that might be answered when the Brighton & Hove Albion manager names his lineup against Crystal Palace this weekend.
Hurzeler is also hopeful of Kaoru Mitoma making his return on Sunday, and once again, it remains to be seen whether that happens from the start or off the bench. James Milner and Brajan Gruda are absent from proceedings, while Solly March, Adam Webster and Jack Hinshelwood are also out of contention in the foreseeable future.
Diego Gomez is currently tipped to start on the left side of the Brighton attack against Crystal Palace, with Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh completing the setup behind centre-forward Danny Welbeck. Carlos Baleba has come in for criticism this season, and this would be another game for him to prove his credentials, as he starts alongside Yasin Ayari in the double pivot.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, Gomez; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace are on a three-game winning run across all competitions.
- Crystal Palace are yet to lose at Selhurst Park this season in the Premier League.
- Brighton have scored at least two goals in five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are winless in their last six visits to Selhurst Park.
- In the last two seasons, the only Englishman to outscore Danny Welbeck (16) in the Premier League is Ollie Watkins (17). The Brighton forward has netted six goals in his last five appearances – only Erling Haaland has more (7) in this timeframe (27 September onwards).
Player to Watch
Jean-Philippe Mateta
The French striker has been on a good run of form, earning him back-to-back call-ups to his national squad. Since returning from scoring for his national side, Mateta has bagged a hat-trick and then a big goal last weekend to bring Palace back to life after a dull period.
He will be key to Crystal Palace’s chances in the M23 Derby against Brighton & Hove Albion, and Glasner will want Mateta to replicate his display from this fixture last season. Currently, he is on six goals for the season, tied with four other stars while being behind only Erling Haaland. Hence, all eyes will be on the Frenchman ahead of this clash with Brighton, as he is one of the in-form players in the Premier League currently.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion are a team yet to find a consistent rhythm under Fabian Hurzeler, which is a continuation from last season. The Seagulls are not in a particularly good run of form away from home, having collected only four of their 15 points on the road this season. Hence, this could be another tough outing for Brighton away at Palace.
Crystal Palace are in a confident vein of form, and they will be the favourites to take three points against Brighton and take a massive jump up the table. Glasner will have his strongest eleven available, as the Eagles will continue their unbeaten run at Selhurst Park, with a 2-1 win likely to be on the cards in the M23 Derby.