Brighton
- The Seagulls sit 13th in the Premier League table with 31 points from 24 games, while Palace sit just below their hosts in 15th with 29 points after 24 games.
- Hurzeler’s adaptable, possession-based philosophy has Brighton playing in a ‘shape-shifting’ system, where players swap positions to create numerical overloads.
- They press as a unit and build up with structure, but can be effective in transition thanks to the attacking midfielders.
- Hurzeler has also introduced more attacking options to a previously rather predictable team, making them a tough team to play against.
- Brighton have won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five.
- Brighton are unbeaten in their last three home matches (W1, D2).
Crystal Palace
- Crystal Palace have failed to win any of their last five matches (D2, L3).
- Glasner’s Palace are another matter, with the coach preferring a rigid 3-4-2-1 system with wing-backs, width and intensity.
- This can be seen in the fact that Palace have conceded just 1.17 goals per match on average away from home, but have also scored the same.
- Palace have won none of their last three away (D1, L2).
Head-to-Head
Brighton’s head-to-head record in recent Premier League meetings (W0, D1, L2) with Crystal Palace paints a familiar picture of how close the two sides have been in recent times, with the last meeting between the two ending in a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park some two months ago.
Key Players
- Danny Welbeck has eight Premier League goals in 23 games and leads Brighton’s goalscoring charts.
- Palace’s top scorer, Jean-Philippe Mateta, is level with Welbeck on eight goals in 23 appearances and will be crucial up front on Sunday.
Betting Insights
- Brighton are 1.96 favorites for Sunday’s game, while the Eagles are 3.6.
- Over 2.5 goals looks a solid bet at 1.83 and matches the Amex head-to-head averages of 2.50 goals for the hosts and 2.00 for the visitors.
Prediction
We’re backing Brighton to just edge out Palace in this match, but it will be a competitive game as these sides are now on contrasting trajectories under their head coaches, with this fixture acting as a litmus test of sorts.
