7M - Preview: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Crystal Palace

Brighton & Hove Albion will face Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the second M23 derby of the season. The teams are separated by just two points in the Premier League standings, both eager to regain momentum as they strive to keep their European hopes alive.

Match Preview

Brighton, who finished eighth in the 2024-25 season and narrowly missed out on European qualification, had aspirations for improvement this year. However, inconsistent performances have hampered their efforts, leaving them in 13th place with 31 points after 24 matches, which includes seven wins, ten draws, and seven losses.

The Seagulls have only secured one league victory in January, a month that was largely defined by draws. With ten draws to their name, they hold the highest total in the division, indicating their struggle to transform solid performances into wins. Their most recent draw was particularly heartbreaking: a dramatic equaliser from Everton's Beto in stoppage time cost them vital points, intensifying their urgency to return to winning ways.

If Brighton can manage to clinch their eighth victory, they could rise as high as ninth place, helping to keep their European aspirations alive.

On the other hand, Crystal Palace comes into this match in troubling form, which has stunted the progress they made last season. Under Oliver Glasner, the team has slid down the table and is now closer to the relegation zone than to the top six.

The absence of captain Marc Guehi, paired with ongoing speculation concerning Glasner's future, has disrupted the team's performances on the field. By the time this weekend's match occurs, it will have been over two months since Palace last enjoyed a Premier League victory. During this stretch, they have drawn twice and lost five league matches, including a stunning FA Cup exit to Macclesfield, who were 117 places lower in the league hierarchy.

In their last outing, Crystal Palace managed to earn a point against Nottingham Forest after coming from behind, even while playing with an extra man for the second half. Presently, they sit in 15th place with 29 points, just nine points above the relegation zone.

This derby marks the second meeting this season, with the first fixture ending in a 0-0 stalemate.

Possible Lineups:

Brighton & Hove Albion:
Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Gomez, Baleba, Gross; Rutter, Welbeck, Mitoma

Crystal Palace:
Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Riad; Munoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; I. Sarr, Pino, Johnson

Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Crystal Palace

With both sides underperforming against their expectations this season, they will seek three points to reignite their campaigns. It is anticipated that the M23 derby will be fiercely contested, with the home side likely to claim victory.