Crystal Palace secured a 2-1 win over rivals Brighton at Selhurst Park, completing their first-ever league double over them in the top flight. The match saw three red cards and featured stunning goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Daniel Munoz, with a Danny Welbeck equalizer in between. Eddie Nketiah, Marc Guehi, and Jan Paul van Hecke were all sent off, making Palace the first Premier League team to win a home game with two red cards.
After a heavy defeat in December’s reverse fixture, Brighton’s tough run continued, as they’ve now lost two straight and are without a win in three. Mateta scored early, just three minutes in, with a powerful strike from Eberechi Eze’s assist. Brighton responded with chances, but Dean Henderson denied Carlos Baleba and Welbeck with a brilliant double save.
However, Welbeck leveled the score with a tap-in from a perfect cross by Yankuba Minteh. The second half saw Palace’s counterattack result in Munoz’s goal, following a cross from Eze. Nketiah, subbed in for Mateta, was booked for diving and later sent off for a high boot. Guehi was also sent off for a second yellow, and Van Hecke followed after a foul on Daichi Kamada.
With 12 minutes of injury time, Palace held on despite being down to eight players. Brighton’s loss keeps them in eighth, opening a chance for Fulham to leapfrog them. Palace close the gap to just four points behind Brighton.
