Two teams that just experienced premature Premier League defeats will meet Saturday at Selhurst Park in the M23 derby between Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion.
A minute away from a defeat against lowest-placed Southampton stopped the hosts' advancement and Brighton suffered their worst home loss to Aston Villa during European competition.
Supporters of both clubs wish to win this rivalry despite other fans misunderstanding the animosity that started in the 1970s.
This weekend Palace manager Oliver Glasner directs his team for victory since their disappointing result against Southampton who played in the bottom ten at match kickoff.
Glasner showed satisfaction about his players' fighting spirit during injury time when Matheus Franca delivered a last-minute equalizer which stopped Palace from suffering the same fate as only two teams had before the Saints this season.
The Eagles continued their undefeated away matches for 10 consecutive dates in the Premier League securing 22 points during this period and only champions-elect Liverpool accumulated similar points (22).
Since becoming manager Glasner has maintained a winning record of 1.5 points-per-game through the two home games versus Aston Villa and Ipswich Town at Selhurst Park.
The fans eagerly anticipate achieving the league double over Brighton for the first time at the top level because it marks their first such accomplishment since 1932-33.
Brighton will be looking for more than just a draw in this match, as they aim to bounce back from their 3-1 home defeat to Palace in December and their frustrating 3-0 loss to Villa on Wednesday.
Despite a heavy 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, Fabian Hürzeler’s side have been strong on the road, losing only once in their last eight Premier League away games. They’re also on track to achieve their highest-ever away points total in a top-flight season.
So far, Brighton have picked up 23 points from 15 away matches, averaging 1.53 points per game—matching their 2021-22 season record. After a difficult week at the Amex, they’ll need to improve that tally to keep their ambitions alive.
The Seagulls’ recent setbacks include an FA Cup exit on penalties to Forest, denying them a trip to Wembley, followed by a damaging league defeat to Villa. That loss allowed Unai Emery’s side to leapfrog them in the table, pushing Brighton down to eighth—a position that may not be enough for European qualification, especially with the FA Cup still up for grabs.
