‘We are ready’ – Brighton boss sends message ahead of Crystal Palace clash

Roberto De Zerbi says his Brighton & Hove Albion side ‘are ready’ for tonight’s clash against arch-rivals Crystal Palace.

The Seagulls host Patrick Vieira’s side, with the Eagles heading to The Amex as the only side in the Premier League without a win in 2023.

These two sides played out a 1-1 draw in February. Solly March opened the scoring for Brighton midway through the second half, but a mistake from Robert Sanchez allowed James Tomkins to equalise for Palace with their only shot on target.

Brighton are seventh in the Premier League table, sitting inside the Europa League places and nine points off the Champions League spots.

Palace are 12th but have been dragged closer to the relegation zone in recent weeks, with just three points keeping them above the bottom three.

“We are ready to play,” the Brighton boss told the media ahead of tonight’s clash.

“We want to win to reach Liverpool at 42 points in the table.

“We know the difficulty of the game – we respect Palace.

“It’s fantastic to play in our stadium, but they know the importance of tomorrow and every game at home.

“The fans are like one player to us – they’re important.

“We have to be good to put them in the game, playing with courage, with our style and our passion.”

The Brighton boss also confirmed that Adam Webster, who was forced off in the 2-2 draw with Leeds, will be fit for this evening. However, ex-Chelsea full-back Tyreek Lamptey faces a late fitness call.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD