Brighton produced a ruthless display to beat Crystal Palace 5-0 in the M23 derby, scoring three times inside the opening 10 minutes before completing a convincing victory at the AMEX Stadium.
The hosts set the tone almost immediately, combining relentless pressure with the quality to expose Palace’s defensive uncertainty. Jaydee Canvot inadvertently put Brighton ahead when he turned a Pascal Gross delivery from the left into his own net.
Palace needed to regain their composure, but instead they were quickly overwhelmed.
Brighton’s second goal was the standout moment of the afternoon. Diego Gomez noticed that Palace were vulnerable from distance and struck from the halfway line, producing an audacious effort which caught the visitors completely by surprise.
There was barely time for Palace to recover before Yasin Ayari added a third. Brighton had raced into a 3-0 lead inside 10 minutes, leaving a derby which had promised to be competitive in danger of becoming a one-sided contest.
Crystal Palace required a response after half-time, but Brighton continued to control the match. Charalampos Kostoulas made it 4-0 only three minutes after the restart, finishing a move which again began with intelligent work from Gross on the flank.
A VAR review for a possible handball briefly put the goal in doubt, but the decision was eventually confirmed and Kostoulas was awarded the goal his performance had merited.
Palace struggled to create a meaningful reaction. Jean Philippe-Mateta came closest when he struck the crossbar, but the visitors were unable to find a way back into the match.
Brighton added a fifth late on when substitute Jack Hinshelwood bundled the ball home, completing a result which underlined the gap between the two sides on the day.
The victory means Brighton have collected 16 points from their opening seven matches of the season. It also represents a significant change in fortunes for manager Fabian Hurzeler.
Hurzeler was booed off the pitch in this fixture last season after Palace secured a 1-0 victory. This time, his Brighton team delivered one of their most emphatic derby performances, with the early burst of goals effectively settling the contest before Palace could establish any control.
