Brighton & Hove Albion meet Crystal Palace in the M23 Derby between two teams looking to reignite their push for European qualification.
Victory would lift Brighton up to tenth in the table, whilst Crystal Palace can leapfrog Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls into 13th with a win.
Team News
Yasin Ayari is ruled out for Brighton after he suffered a shoulder injury during their 1-1 draw at home to Everton last weekend.
Diego Gomez (knock) is available but Mats Wieffer (toe), Stefanos Tzimas (ACL), Solly March and Adam Webster (both knee) remain sidelined.
Palace will welcome midfielder, Adam Wharton back from his one-match ban in their 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Borna Sosa (muscle) and Daichi Kamada (hamstring) are available, but Justin Devenny (ankle) faces a late fitness test.
Eddie Nketiah (muscle), Jean-Philippe Mateta, Cheick Doucoure (both knee), Rio Cardines (adductor) and Caleb Kporha (back) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Brighton host Palace at AMEX Stadium on Sunday 8 February at 2pm GMT, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Brighton have avoided defeat in seven of their last nine league meetings against Palace (W2, D5, L2).
- Palace have won just one of their last four visits to Brighton (W1. D1, L2).
- Between both Brighton and Palace this season coming into this matchweek, no player has produced more interceptions than Palace’s Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards who have both made 30 interceptions each.
- Brighton have dropped 11 points in their last six league matches at home (W1, D4, L1).
- No Palace player has produced more successful long passes in the top flight this season than Dean Henderson (106).
Prediction
Having seen some of those around them slip up so far this weekend, Brighton know that this is a huge chance to reignite their European ambitions by going tenth and five points off sixth-placed Liverpool, but they have to be more clinical and see the game out when on top better than they did in their draw against Everton.
Palace meanwhile were lucky to snatch their draw at Forest after a careless handball from Neco Williams gave them a converted penalty, before the hosts dug in defensively in the second half to hold Oliver Glasner’s Eagles but they can take positives from a stronger display than recent weeks.
This fixture though has often been quite closely fought aside from the last two clashes on Brighton’s turf so I expect this to be another close battle, which could well see both teams share the spoils unless one team raises their end product up a notch.
Prediction: Brighton 1-1 Crystal Palace
Result: Brighton 0-1 Crystal Palace
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