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Brighton were the better side, but Palace defended resolutely and came within three minutes of completing a classic smash and grab

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Fri 14 Jan 2022 17.29 ESTFirst published on Fri 14 Jan 2022 14.00 EST
Brighton celebrate a late equaliser to break Palace hearts.
Brighton celebrate a late equaliser to break Palace hearts. Photograph: Liz Finlayson/TPI/REX/Shutterstock
Brighton celebrate a late equaliser to break Palace hearts. Photograph: Liz Finlayson/TPI/REX/Shutterstock

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Patrick Vieira talks. “In the second half we knew that if we kept defending well we would have chances. We were disciplined. There is a lot of positivity to take for the second half of the season.”

Graham Potter speaks to Sky. “I thought we were fantastic, first half especially. We needed to score, of course, and didn’t, so that’s disappointing. But the character of the team, to recover from missing a penalty, to recover from going a goal down, to keep going, it’s really, really pleasing. I thought we were the better team and deserving of something from the game. We’ll get there. I can’t be anything but pleased with how we went about our work. If we maintain that performance, we’ll win more than we lose.” He also says that “VAR got everything right”, which is fairly refreshing.

The expected goals tally: 2.23 to 0.47. Jack Butland is one reason Brighton couldn’t convert their supremacy into three points, and here he is talking to Sky. “It was fairly obvious to see they had the main share of the ball. We defended well. To concede a scruffy own goal like that feels more like a loss, but in the grand scheme of things it is a good point. The last couple of years have been difficult for me, I haven’t played as much as I’d like and I’ve struggled confidence wise ... so to have a night like tonight is nice, and a reminder to me that I’m more than capable. Nights like this are helpful, little reminders.”

A fine way to start the weekend. That late equaliser means Brighton nudge ahead of Wolves on goals scored. Palace meanwhile go above the Saints into 11th.

Pos Team P GD Pts
7 Man Utd 19 3 31
8 Brighton 20 0 28
9 Wolverhampton 19 0 28
10 Leicester 18 -2 25
11 Crystal Palace 21 -1 24
12 Southampton 20 -6 24

FULL TIME: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Crystal Palace

For the second time this season, Brighton deny Palace with a late equaliser. They’ll wonder how they didn’t win this one, though.

90 min +4: March dribbles in from the right. He loses control in the box. Lamptey considers making off with the ball but goes over with Hughes just behind him instead. He wants a penalty, but he’s never getting one.

90 min +3: March drives down the right and crosses viciously. Welbeck meets it at the near post but, falling backwards, can only guide his header over the bar. Brighton are after that winner!

90 min: Guehi’s weak backpass nearly lets in Welbeck. Butland is off his line quickly to deal with the problem. There will be four added minutes.

89 min: March whips in from the right. Welbeck isn’t far from meeting it, six yards out. Goal kick. Plenty of time yet for another twist in the tail.

GOAL! Brighton 1-1 Palace (Andersen og 87)

Cucurella plays a cute first-time ball down the inside-left channel for Maupay, who drops a shoulder to beat the over-eager Ward and reaches the byline. He fires a low, hard cross into the six-yard box. Andersen sticks out a leg and bundles into his own net. So unlucky for Andersen, who has been magnificent in defence and had to act, but it’s the very least that Brighton deserve.

Brighton equaliser! Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
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85 min: Lamptey skedaddles down the right and crosses long for Cucurella, who can’t win a clean header at the far post. Brighton recycle possession. The ball nearly drops to Welbeck, 12 yards out. Palace bundle clear. It’s most likely going to be attack versus defence for the rest of the game.

83 min: A minor brouhaha as Burn bodychecks Hughes. The referee is quickly in the middle of it all, and everyone calms down quickly enough. VAR has a look, but it’s nothing more than a garden-variety foul.

81 min: Cucurella’s flick wins a corner out left. Before Brighton can take it, Benteke comes on for Olise.

80 min: Brighton push Palace back. Lamptey and March take turns to probe down the right. The visitors hold firm. It could be a long final few minutes for Palace if things continue like this.

78 min: Lamptey loops in from the right. It’s a peach of a cross, and Welbeck is preparing to head home from six yards, but Andersen gets a last-ditch flick away. A huge goal-saving intervention!

76 min: Brighton look collectively shellshocked, barely able to comprehend how they’re not a couple of goals ahead, never mind behind. Ditto their fans. All the noise is coming from the Palace end at the moment, as you’d imagine.

74 min: Moder slips Lamptey into space down the right. Lamptey crosses and earns a corner. The corner’s met by Webster again ... and again he clanks a poor header well wide left. Another decent chance goes by for Brighton.

Adam Webster heads wide. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
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73 min: Brighton respond to the shock of falling behind by making a double swap: on come Welbeck and March for Gross and Veltman.

72 min: Mac Allister takes a shot from distance. It’s blocked, and balloons into the sky before dropping in Butland’s arms.

71 min: Palace nearly make it two, Schlupp reaching the byline on the left yet again and firing a low cross through the six-yard box, Gallagher this close to poking home at the near post. Nobody other than Cucurella at the far post, much to Brighton’s relief. How on earth have they ended up here?!

GOAL! Brighton 0-1 Palace (Gallagher 69)

Are you surprised? It’s been all Brighton, but now look! Hughes slips a ball down the inside-left channel for Milivojevic, who shuttles the ball infield for Schlupp. He reaches the byline, swivels, and cuts back for Gallagher, who smacks a shot into the bottom right, Schlupp having drawn Sanchez out of position!

Crystal Palace score! Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
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68 min: Brighton have taken 14 attempts to Palace’s two. Just four on target, though, which explains plenty.

66 min: Palace replace Eze and Edouard with Mateta and, in an attempt to shore things up a little, Milivojevic.

65 min: Cucurella switches play from left to right. Lamptey cuts back for Gross, who curls a deep cross back towards Trossard. The ball’s met sweetly on the volley, but blocked by Andersen. Another Brighton move that was very easy on the eye.

63 min: Gross swings in from the right. Webster wins the header, ten yards from goal, but can only slap the ball well wide left. Brighton continue to knock at the door.

62 min: A free kick for Brighton out on the right touchline. The hosts load the box. Cucuarella curls in low. It’s not the best delivery but Mitchell hacks out in hysterical fashion and it’s a corner.

60 min: Hughes goes sliding into Mac Allister at high speed, flipping the Argentinian midfielder into the air like a fried egg. One of those that looks much worse than it actually was. Mistimed, but not malicious, and just a yellow.

59 min: Lamptey launches his first raid down the right touchline. He gets nowhere this time, but the anticipation crackles whenever he takes up possession.

Tariq Lamptey goes past Tyrick Mitchell. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
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58 min: Webster, playing out from the back, clumps a dismal pass straight at Olise. Webster will be pleased Burn managed to force the dangerous Palace winger out of play on the right. For a second, Brighton were in a bit of bother there.

56 min: Lallana’s race is indeed run. Lamptey comes on in his place. “Moder was clearly shoved when through on goal and not only did it not go to VAR, it didn’t even get a mention from the commentators,” writes Gary Naylor. “That’s why players go down ‘easily’.”

55 min: Lallana is down, holding his left leg. Not sure he’ll be able to continue. Either way, Brighton are preparing to bring on the ever-exciting Lamptey. The crowd erupt with glee as he starts his warm-up.

53 min: Eze dribbles in from the left and nearly dazzles his way into the box. One trick too many and he loses control. But he shows again 30 seconds later, Palace coming back at Brighton, Eze blazing over from the best part of 30 yards. Ambitious. This is a really entertaining game.

52 min: Maupay romps towards the Palace box before slipping wide left for Trossard, who cuts inside and shoots for the bottom right. The effort is blocked.

50 min: Maupay backheels infield from the left. Mac Allister dinks an instant pass down the channel for Moder, who is clear in the box! He attempts to lift over Butland. The keeper sticks up a strong arm, a wonderful save, and nothing comes from the resulting corner. That was an exquisite passing move down the left by Brighton, and would have been such a pretty goal.

48 min: ... and now Palace nearly take the lead, Gallagher crossing low from the right, Edouard sliding in and poking towards the bottom right from close range. Sanchez blocks brilliantly. How is this game still goalless?

47 min: Trossard shanks a shot wide right from the edge of the box. Gross recycles possession on the right flank. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Moder, who sidefoots across Butland and onto the bar and away. So close to the opener ... again!

So nearly the opener for Brighton! Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
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Brighton get the second half underway. No changes have been made at the break. Meanwhile our old friend Peter Oh is cooking with gas tonight, because here comes another zinger. “What do ruthless corporations and VAR have in common?” he asks. “Both deny reasonable arguments in favour of Maupay.” Please be upstanding, everyone. Mr Oh will be in residency all summer at the Dome.

HALF TIME: Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Crystal Palace

Brighton have been the better side by far. They should be leading, but they’re not. It’s a story as old as time.

45 min +2: “Perhaps a business teacher could use Brighton’s choice of penalty taker in a lesson on Gross profit versus net profit.” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the rock.

45 min: Mitchell, Schlupp, Hughes and Olise all have opportunities to shoot as Palace shuttle the ball left to right across the face of the Brighton box. They over-elaborate and the chance to warm Sanchez’s hands is gone.

NO GOAL! Brighton 0-0 Palace

41 min: Yep, it’s chalked off. Butland had the ball in both hands as he ran into Maupay, whereupon he lost control. It’s a pretty soft foul, and Butland can consider himself fortunate, his handling barely passing muster.

The referee disallows the goal. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
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GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Palace (Maupay 39)

Gross swings the corner in from the right. Burn dives low and sends a header towards the top left. Butland claims with both hands, but clanks into Maupay’s raised thigh and loses control. The ball drops to Maupay, who bundles home from a couple of yards!

Goal! or is it? Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
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Brighton miss the penalty

38 min: Gross scuffs a dismal effort straight at Butland, who kicks out for a corner. From which ...

Pascal Gross with a terrible penalty, easily saved by Jack Butland. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
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