Crystal Palace vs Brighton: Wilfried Zaha scored in first-half stoppage time, but Neal Maupay hit back in the 95th minute for a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on Monday.
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Brighton would have gone top of the Premier League table with a win, but instead the Seagulls battled from behind to take a point in hugely dramatic fashion. Crystal Palace, clearly, will be equally disappointed to drop two points with less than a minute left to play.
Crystal Palace vs Brighton final score, stats, results
Final score: Crystal Palace 1, Brighton 1
Goal scorers: Crystal Palace (Zaha 45'+1 - PK), Brighton (Maupay 90'+5)
Shots: Crystal Palace 8, Brighton 7
Shots on target: Crystal Palace 3, Brighton 3
Possession: Crystal Palace 47%, Brighton 53%
3 things we learned, Crystal Palace vs Brighton
1. Eagles taking to Vieira rather quickly: It’s still a tad early say Patrick Vieira has worked a minor miracle in his first few months at Crystal Palace, but it’s no small feat to have six points from their first six games after turning over nearly half of last season’s squad in the summer. Perhaps most exciting for fans in south London? It’s clear to see that the best is still to come from Crystal Palace, who will only improve as they better understand Vieira’s ideas. Furthermore, Vieira ideas will continue to grow and improve as well. It’s easy to forget because he’s a true giant in the overall context of the sport (as a player), but as a manager he’s still relatively inexperienced (fewer than 200 games, including just 96 in Europe) and has only just begun to prove himself at the Premier League level.
2. Brighton battle back: Brighton were undeniably the second-best side in the first half, but Graham Potter switched from a back-three to a back-four at halftime and that resulted in Brighton having an extra man in midfield, where they could suddenly compete. The game was hardly flipped on its head by this simple move, but it brought Brighton back in the proceedings and saw them grow into the game as Crystal Palace began to protect their lead more and more cautiously.
3. Palace press, putting Seagulls under siege: Typically, Brighton look to press their opponents high up the field, but on Monday it was Crystal Palace who took the onus upon themselves — perhaps emboldened by Selhurst Park’s unwavering support throughout this heated M23 derby — to dictate the game’s tempo and tenor. It was cagey and not the most attractive to the eye, which doesn’t exactly suit Potter’s Brighton. It was 30 seconds from working to perfection.
Man of the Match: Conor Gallagher - He won the penalty kick for Crystal Palace’s goal and Gallagher, more than anyone else, benefited from the numerical advantage in the first half.
Crystal Palace vs Brighton recap, highlights
Trossard gives away a penalty, Zaha smashes it home (goal video)
Leandro Trossard arrived well after the ball had gone from Conor Gallagher’s foot, but he could stop neither his momentum nor the foreign feeling of defending in his own penalty area. Trossard barged through Gallagher, shoulder to shoulder, and referee Andre Marriner immediately whistled and pointed to the spot. Zaha was ruthless with the ensuing penalty kick.
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Neal Maupay steals a point with 95th-minute chip (goal video)
If you don’t put a side as talented and intelligent as Brighton all the way away, there’s a good chance they’ll make you pay. The ball from Joel Veltman was full of intent and masterfully hit where only one man could reach it.
