Wilfried Zaha scored from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time but Neal Maupay netted a dramatic last-gasp equalizer to rescue a point for Brighton against Crystal Palace.
Neal Maupay came to Brighton’s rescue to score a dramatic last-gasp equalizer in a feisty clash with rivals Crystal Palace. Wilfried Zaha’s penalty just before halftime saved the Eagles three points in what is known as the M23 Derby.
After Leandro Trossard had brought down Conor Gallagher in a box, Maupay, a winger for Palace, remained cool.
Maupay kept his good start to the season going by latching onto Joel Veltman’s hopeful through ball, and lobbed Vicente Guaita in order to share the spoils. The Seagulls were not able to score a point enough to climb into the top flight for their first time in history.
What else happened at Selhurst Park, however? Here, Mirror Sport takes a look at the main talking points…
1. Zaha steals the show
Zaha loves playing against Brighton; prior to this encounter, he had scored seven goals against the Seagulls in all competitions including four in his last four at Selhurst Park.
The Eagles’ fierce rivalry was not enough to get Zaha excited for this clash. There was also the thrill of seeing the Ivory Coast star make his 400th appearance for south Londoners.
The tricky winger was a constant threat down the left flank in the opening stages of this thrilling encounter.
The majority of Palace’s attacks in the opening period came down the left side, with Patrick Vieira seemingly identifying Veltman as a weak link in the Seagulls’ defense. When Zaha scored from the penalty box, Palace took a well-deserved lead.
The moment was a joy for him too. He ran to the Brighton fans immediately to add salt to their wounds.
2. Two teams with exciting futures
Much has been said about the pair’s rivalry – and the often-claimed confusing nature of it – but you certainly can’t question their attacking intent.
Both teams chose to attack with three-man attacks. For Palace, Odsonne Edouard, Zaha and Jordan Ayew were chosen, while for Seagulls boss Graham Potter, Danny Welbeck, and Trossard were selected.
The Palace began to entertain their home supporters, challenging Robert Sanchez with several attempts within the first 20 minutes.
Brighton did not sit back, and they had plenty to do against a well-drilled Palace defense. However, their determination to play from behind often proved successful.
Although they may not be household names in Premier League, these two are certainly the right players.
3. Edouard handles the big occasion
Edouard was given the nod by Vieira to make his first start for Palace since joining from Celtic in a Deadline Day move worth £14million.
The Frenchman was unable to score a double in his debut against Tottenham and had to accept a bench place in the 3-0 loss at Liverpool.
Vieira finally allowed him to play from the beginning and the striker who has had many Old Firm clashes over his three-year tenure in Scotland will have learned a lot.
Going up against three towering center-backs in Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy and Dan Burn is no easy feat, but the 23-year-old was able to stretch the Seagulls’ defense, allowing Zaha and Ayew to have space to run into down the flanks.
In the second half, he continued to throw his weight around and was not able to score. Christian Benteke replaced him 18 minutes later.
4. Half-time Brighton switch backfires
Despite seemingly handling Palace’s attack in the opening period, Seagull’s boss Potter decided to haul off Burn at half-time.
He decided to make a tactical change and switched to four backs. To add more depth in the midfield, he also brought on Steven Alzate. Alzate only lasted 20 minutes before Ayew got into a fight and Alzate fell awkwardly.
The Polish midfielder Jakub Moder was brought in, but unfortunately, he was not able to make an impact on the game.
5. Vieira buys into the Palace project
In the build-up to this clash, Potter claimed Vieira could one day become an even better manager than he was a player.
During a glittering time playing in the top-flight with Arsenal, Vieira won three Premier League titles along with four FA Cup crowns.
Potter was full of praise for his rival and said: “He would be some manager if he gets to that point. There’s nothing stopping him at all. It’s just a process.
“You have good days and bad days. You have failures. It’s how you deal with them. Keep going. Keep improving.”
For Palace fans, it was a happy day until the final drama. Vieira seemed to love the chance of facing his fierce rivals.
The Eagles boss was a loud cheerleader for his team during this match, always offering support and praise to his players, including Zaha.