Report & Highlights: Palace well beaten at Brighton

Three goals for the hosts in a disastrous opening ten minutes gave the Eagles too much to do, with Palace losing away from home in the league for the first time since the opening game of the season.

Summary;

• Sage makes three changes from the side beaten in Lyon, while Jean-Philippe Mateta returns to the bench.
• 4 – Goal: Canvot heads in an own goal.
• 7 – Goal: Gomez scores an audacious goal from the halfway line.
• 10 - Goal: Ayari fires home from close range after a swift Brighton attack.
• 12: Khalili forces a good save from Verbruggen as Palace try to regroup.
• 20: Kostoulas tests Benítez from distance, but the Argentine makes a strong save.
• 39: Kadioglu hits a curling effort, but Benítez produces an excellent fingertip stop.
• HT: Brighton 3-0 Palace
• 47: Kostoulas drags a shot wide as Brighton go close to a fourth.
• 49 – Goal: Kostoulas gets on the scoresheet after a deflection falls kindly for the forward.
• 57: Vušković whips a shot just over the crossbar.
• 61: Sage brings Mateta and Nketiah into the fold.
• 63: Mateta hits the crossbar with Palace's best chance of the game.
• 84 – Goal: Hinshelwood gets Brighton's fifth from close range.
• FT: Brighton 5-0 Palace

The Eagles were chasing a third straight win on the south coast, but endured a disastrous opening ten minutes that left them with too much to do.

The games first flashpoint arrived three minutes in. Anan Khalaili fouled Lewis Dunk near the byline which gave Pascal Gross the chance to whip in a dangerous cross.

Jaydee Canvot was the unfortunate individual who got the decisive touch, at the near post, Walter Benítez given no chance in the Eagles goal.

That was the first of a triple blow. Diego Gomez then made it 2-0 with an outrageous strike from the halfway line.

The midfielder took one touch before launching his audacious effort, Benítez once again given little chance.

And just when it looked like things couldn’t get worse, Charalampos Kostoulas and Pascal Gross broke down the right wing and worked an opening for Yasin Ayari.

He hit a first-time shot which deflected in via the unfortunate Canvot. Palace now had a huge mountain to climb, with Brighton looking very much in the mood to keep attacking.

Palace had an almost immediate response which would have given them a foothold in the game, when Anan Khalaili drove down the right-wing.

His shot was powerful, but Brighton stopper Verbruggen was equal to it at his front post.

But the hosts’ attacks were relentless. Benítez was forced into an excellent stop from Kostoulas from distance, while Gross was narrowly denied another sight at goal as Palace toiled.

3-0 down at the interval, Sage introduced Dwight McNeil, replacing Quinten Timber in midfield.

But any hope things might improve evaporated within four minutes of the restart.

Gross crossed from the left to Ayari inside the box. Although his shot was deflected, it ran kindly for forward Kostoulas, who duly slotted home Brighton’s fourth.

Sage then gave Jean-Philippe Mateta his first minutes in two months on the hour mark, while Eddie Nketiah also joined the action from the bench.

The Frenchman nearly made an immediate impact, after a nice passing move between Nketiah and McNeil gave him a sight of goal. Sadly, he could only rattle the crossbar with Verbruggen beaten.

And in the end it was Brighton who got the afternoon's fifth goal.

The hosts rounded off the scoring in the closing minutes when substitute Jack Hinshelwood rammed home, after Benítez originally made an excellent save from Vuskovic from a corner.

The full-time whistle sounded not long after, to leave Palace 14th in the Premier League table.

The Eagles return to action on Thursday night against Besiktas in the UEFA Europa League, with our next domestic game the visit of Newcastle on Sunday (25th October).

Brighton: Verbruggen, Boscagli, Vuskovic, Dunk (Svobada, 89), De Cuyper, Ayari (Yalcouye, 81), Kadioglu, Andres, Gomez, Gross (Hinshelwood, 71), Kostoulas (Rutter, 71).

Subs: Steele, Hadjam, Costinha, O'Riley, Osman.

Palace: Benítez (GK), Ahanor (Lerma, 52), Richards, Canvot, Khalaili, Timber (McNeil, 45), Wharton, Mitchell, Pino (Nketiah, 61), Kamada (Hughes, 81), Strand Larsen (Mateta, 61)

Subs: Matthews (GK), Mingueza, Osorio, Sarr.