Post-match reaction telling in current directions of travel for Crystal Palace and Brighton

BY EDMUND BRACK
edmund@slpmedia.co.uk

The current disparity between bitter rivals Crystal Palace and Brighton was summed up by each manager’s post-match press conference at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi was left rueing missed chances in the 1-1 draw and bewildered about how his side’s dominant display had not resulted in three points.

The Seagulls had suffocated Palace on their own patch, making mannequins out of those in red-and-blue shirts as their clear footballing identity was stamped on the fixture.

“We are frustrated, but we have to be proud,” said Albion’s Italian head coach. “We go back home with more confidence – we are playing fantastic.

“This was one of the best games from my time [at Brighton], we made a lot of mistakes to score when we had chances.

“I’m frustrated with the result. Not only because of the table, but for our fans, because we wanted to make them happy and we are sorry for this.”

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira, on the other hand, was clearly pleasantly pleased with the point, choosing to highlight his side’s defensive resolve and the opposition’s “excellent” football.

The Eagles had been passengers for much of the match, with a huge slice of fortune courtesy of Robert Sanchez spilling a routine Michael Olise free-kick – James Tomkins heading the loose ball home to salvage a point from a performance that left much to be desired.

“I’m really satisfied and happy with the organisation we had today,” said Vieira, who named a starting 11 that had only scored a combined five goals this season.

“The game was really challenging and difficult – Brighton were excellent. We needed to be well-organised and well-disciplined defensively, not to give them that space that they needed to express themselves. The discipline that we showed, in the end, allowed us to get into the game. I’m really pleased with the point.”

It was 90 minutes that encapsulated the current moods around the two clubs. Brighton are on the up, playing a brand of football that has them challenging for European spots and scoring goals at will.

Palace – who have been in the top flight four years longer than their South Coast counterparts – are beginning to peer anxiously over their shoulders with the chasing pack closing in.

Palace were set up in a counter-attacking structure, but with the 25 per cent possession they did have against De Zerbi’s side, there was an alarming lack of threat going forward – their only effort on target coming through Tomkins’ equaliser.

The visitors should have walked away with three points but Vicente Guaita’s first-half heroics, Brighton’s profligacy in front of goal and VAR incorrectly ruling out Pervis Estupinan’s 30th-minute strike all swung in Palace’s favour.

The stats tell the story. Palace’s xG (expected goals) was 0.89 compared to 2.36 for Albion.

Brighton created 17 attempts – six on target and the corner count was 6-1 in their favour. Palace only outscored their opponents on bookings.

This Palace squad is weaker than last season.

The Eagles allowed options to leave in the summer and January, without bringing in ready-made reinforcements for the manager to choose from and it has led to the style of play regressing.

There is no clear first-choice striker, and the talented Eberechi Eze is unable to stamp any creative authority on the side, which has led to the Greenwich-born attacker’s demotion to the bench in recent weeks.

The options in midfield are now swollen following the arrival of Albert Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal and Naouirou Ahamada from Stuttgart in the last window, with other areas of the squad worryingly light.

If Tomkins had needed to come off during the second half when he was limping towards the bench after Will Hughes went down with an injury of his own, there would have been no defensive option to replace the 33-year-old.

The Eagles are one of 12 sides in the top four divisions of the pyramid yet to pick up a league win in 2023.

Next up are a Brentford side unbeaten in 10 Premier League matches – beating Manchester City and holding leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last time out.

With four of their next five league games against teams in the top half of the table, there is a tense atmosphere building around SE25.

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD