53 min: Dan Burn has already been a more effective left-back on the overlap than Alzate proved in the first half. He picks up a booking for fouling Ayew, who continues his good work, by sweeping up at the back.
51 min: Roy Hodgson looks nervy on the sidelines but his team have nailed his gameplan so far.
49 min: Veltman is tripped by Milivojevic, who suggest he made no contact. No booking though, suggesting it was appreciated by Kevin Friend as being the Palace man’s attempt to pull out of the tackle. Palace deal well with the resultant free kick.
47 min: Burn overlaps and loops in a cross. Palace only half clear it, and Welbeck can’t direct the ball goalward.
46 min: Welbeck will partner Maupay in what looks a 4-4-2 with Dan Burn going out to left back. Graham Potter clearly thinking Palace will want to sit on their lead.
Half-time change for Brighton, and it’s Danny Welbeck coming on for Alzate.
The Mateta goal, by the way, was the lesser spotted backheel and double nutmeg, going through both Ben White and Robert Sanchez.
Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL)
What a finish 😍
Jean-Philippe Mateta has his first Palace goal and it is a beauty
📺 Watch on Sky Sports PL
February 22, 2021
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Matt Burtz gets back in touch: “Update: I’m 39 years old and didn’t know until today that Sanford and Son, which has one of the best theme songs ever, was a remake of Steptoe and Son. It was also intended to be the answer to All in the Family (itself a remake of Till Death Do Us Part, not that I need to tell anyone reading this that fact). Throw in The Office and it’s so much for American exceptionalism, eh?”
Mateta’s goal the shining light of a game lacking in quality, and particularly from Brighton’s attackers. Palace had one meaningful attack and scored from it.
45+1 min: One minute added on to the half. It closes out with Guaita claiming a corner from the skies.
44 min: Ward and Mac Allister clash in the air and fall heavily together to the floor. There will be no need for any concussion protocols as both are OK to continue.
43 min: Ayew, who has excelled at both ends, chases down a clearance, and Palace’s defenders can get some rest. The stats tell us Palace have had just three touches in the opposing box. They have a goal from that, too.
41 min: Ray Lewington looks to be in shorts, too. A man from the old school. Mike Phelan would approve. Mind you, it has been unseasonably warm in the south of England. Roy Hodgson, though, is in club issue jacket. Cast ne’er a clout til May be out, and all that. There’s a lockdown gag in there somewhere.
39 min: Palace seem to be pressing a little higher up the pitch, with the loud encouragement of Ray Lewington ringing in their ears as they do.
38 min: Dan Burn is penalised for clattering into Ayew, who goes down heavily and with a hearty roar.
36 min: Brighton pushing on, Palace sitting back. As might be expected. Townsend fouls Veltman and it’s a free-kick chance to get the ball into the big men. That comes back out to Mac Allister, whose shot is deflected off Joel Ward for a corner.
34 min: Ciaran Crowther gets in touch: “Brilliant ball by Kouyate to Ayew down the right for the goal. Maybe Roy could teach Jurgen Klopp a thing or two about converting midfielders into effective centre halves.”
33 min: It’s probably not outlandish to suggest that Palace may try and sit back on their lead. Mateta will be ploughing a lonely old furrow up there. Meanwhile, Veltman pings a shot wide.
31 min: Matt Burtz emails in: “I rather enjoy your MBMs because I’m forced to make a list of references that this ignorant American is unaware of and needs to look up on Wikipedia later. So far we have Ron Noades, Neil Smillie, Steptoe and Son, and John Gorman. Please keep them coming!”
Well, Matt, I used to work for an American company who didn’t appreciate this kind of stuff so I guess both of us are happier apart now. And thank you.
29 min: There was a moment there when Mateta stopped his celebration because he heard a whistle. No need, mate, there was nothing wrong with that finish.
Well well well. There we have it. Ayew’s burst down the right and beautiful backheel from the striker beyond Sanchez. What a goal!
27 min: Mateta is seen, at last. But sadly that’s for a foul in his own half. Meanwhile Trossard tries to angle in a shot first time but gets his angle all wrong.
25 min: Brighton have this game for the taking. But they do look a tad short of quality in the final not even third, the penalty box. And it’s not as if Palace are not conceding goals. They have let in 42 this season.
23 min: Palace have been not great when it comes to getting the ball forward but look solid enough in attack.
21 min: Graham Potter is on the sidelines, and the suggestion is he’s made some kind of tactical switch. You can tell this by his using his fingers to count the numbers he wants in each department. Think Glenn Hoddle and John Gorman in 1998.
19 min: Brighton put together a neat move which should have brought a goal. Veltman’s pass inside looks destined to be swept in by Maupay but Kouyate steps in front. That was decent defending.
17 min: Townsend goes down under a Dunk charge but the contact was minimal. A flicker of a Palace attack, at least.
15 min: This, it has to be said, is yet to ignite into reminding us why this is one of the hottest rivalries in the world football.
13 min: By the way, Palace had an attack, though one snuffed out by Lewis Dunk’s power.
12 min: The screamer has been identified. From our man on the scene: “It’s [Ray] Lewington doing the screaming. It’s not got a lot more technical than “good boy! good boy!”
11 min: Ward heads away the corner, beating the likes of Lewis Dunk to the punch.
10 min: Mateta can’t have touched it yet. Brighton keep attacking as Mac Allister forces a corner.
9 min: All Brighton, as Alzate has a shot blocked and Bissouma booms the ball over the bar.
7 min: Peter Oh shares two nuggets: “I find it mildly interesting that the Crystal Palace bench features not just one, but two former Liverpool right backs (Nathaniel Clyne and Martin Kelly).”
“This matchup reunites former Ajax Amsterdam teammates and excellent examples of first names that begin with J and are spiced up with a diaresis, Brighton’s Joël Veltman and Palace’s Jaïro Riedewald.”
So there.
5 min: Someone, presumably on the bench, is doing an awful lot of shouting. It doesn’t sound like Roy Hodgson, who when angry sounds like Harry H Corbett railing at Wilfred Brambell in Steptoe and Son.
4 min: Veltman sets off down the flank, Cahill comes across to clear. Brighton pushing on from the start. Palace circumspect so far.
2 min: Mateta is on his own up front for Palace. He’ll hope to have a better night than he did at Leeds a couple of weeks ago where he was, it has to be said, disappointing, though was given sod all service.
1 min: And away we go...all the players take the knee, with no Wilfried Zaha in the Crystal Palace team. He has said, of course, that he will no longer be taking it.
The stats are in.
OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
8 - Brighton have never won a Premier League game on a Monday (D6 L2) – only Hull City (10) have played more games on this day of the week without ever winning in the competition’s history. Ominous. #BHACRY pic.twitter.com/myTR7iaoKh
February 22, 2021
OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
18/20 - Crystal Palace have lost 18 of their last 20 Premier League games in which Wilfried Zaha hasn’t played, with the Eagles failing to score in 16 of those 18 defeats. Devoid. #BHACRY pic.twitter.com/4b1URtLrMO
February 22, 2021
The teams take to the field one after the other to follow Covid regulations though did look at reasonably close quarters in the Amex tunnel.
Graham Potter speaks to Sky Sports.
We have played ourselves into a better position. We have to keep going become we don’t have enough points. It’s a big game against our rivals. We know we have to fight. Everyone’s aware of the importance for the supporters. But every game in this league is so big and competitive. It’s the same as every game, really.
Roy Hodgson speaks to the BBC.
The fact that it’s Brighton adds that extra spice because it’s a match very important to the fans - and everyone at the club is aware of that. I think whatever team we’d have played after the last two results, where we’ve been below par, we’d have been anxious to show that we were better than that. It’s important to get out there and show the fans that the last two performances are not what they can expect from us.
More from the archives on that rivalry.
As it stands - and there is a big ‘if’ here - Brighton fans will be able to see Manchester City at the Amex and Arsenal will travel to the Selhurst Colosseum on the last day of the season.
That’s Brighton unchanged from their 0-0 draw with Aston Villa but Roy Hodgson ringing the Palace changes after losing 3-0 to Burnley. Scott Dann, Nathaniel Clyne, Patrick van Aanholt, Michy Batshuayi and Christian Benteke have all been dropped. In come Joel Ward, Gary Cahill, Tyrick Mitchell, Andros Townsend and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
And there is still no Wilfried Zaha.
Brighton: Sanchez, Burn, Dunk, White, Veltman, Gross, Bissouma, Alzate, Mac Allister, Maupay, Trossard.
Subs: Steele, Connolly, Lallana, Moder, Jahanbakhsh, Welbeck, Tau, Propper, Zeqiri.
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Cahill, Kouyate, Mitchell, Milivojevic, Riedewald, Townsend, Eze, Ayew, Mateta.
Subs: Butland, Van Aanholt, Dann, Clyne, Benteke, McCarthy, Batshuayi, Kelly.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Alan Mullery, Terry Venables, Peter Taylor and Malcolm Allison, Seagulls versus Eagles, the M23. Ron Noades. Neil Smillie. Rather disturbing smells and stains in the away dressing room at the Amex. This is the rivalry that fans of other clubs find it difficult to get a handle on. Since the pair were reunited in the top division in 2017 it’s never quite managed to live up the hype. There’s been two draws in the last three meetings, with the last meeting at Selhurst though the last saw Brighton equalise with a 90th minute penalty goal from Alex Mac Allister.
Tonight’s game can see Brighton climb above Palace, who have not been on a good run. Neither are too thrilling to watch at the moment. Brighton might have beaten Premier League whipping boys Liverpool but draws with Burnley and Aston Villa either side of an FA Cup loss to Leicester has rather slowed down their pull away from the relegation zone. Palace were hopeless against both Leeds and Burnley, two matches played without Wilfried Zaha, who will be missing tonight, too.
The prediction can only be a thrilling 3-3 draw for the ages.
Kick-off at 8pm UK time. Join me.
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