Brighton & Hove Albion vs Crystal Palace, Premier League 2022-2023, Today Match Prediction

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Crystal Palace Match Prediction & Analysis

Brighton hope to put pressure on the teams above them in their race for European football next season. The Seagulls have two games in hand on Liverpool, this being one of them.

A win would draw them level with Jurgen Klopp’s men, who have a superior goal difference. De Zerbi’s men also have the FA Cup Quarter Finals to look forward to, with that game taking place a few days later.

The Seagulls have just one defeat to their name so far this calendar year – a narrow 1-0 loss to fellow European chasers Fulham. 

On the other hand, rivals Crystal Palace are enduring one of their poorest runs of form for some time. Patrick Vieira’s men were once one of the most exciting teams in the league, though they look a shadow of themselves right now.

The Eagles haven’t been able to claim victory so far in 2023 and have slipped closer to the relegation zone as a result. With teams below them all picking up points, they’ll find themselves in trouble if they don’t improve soon.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Brighton & Hove Albion Preview

Reasons to be cheerful:

     Could equal their club record of 12 wins for the season set last campaign

     Haven’t lost this season against a team lower in the league than 11th 

Reasons to be fearful:

     Claimed just one point from their last three home games against Palace

     Only four of their last 20 goals have come in the first half of matches 

Despite Brighton’s superiority over Crystal Palace in terms of their league position over the past two seasons, that hasn’t translated to results when these two teams meet one another.

Brighton haven’t been able to beat their historic rivals in any of their last seven meetings, and have just one point to their name from their last three encounters at the Amex Stadium.

With the club currently aiming for a European spot under De Zerbi, you would expect them to pull out all the stops and change that run of form here.

Brighton are in a promising position, and if they win their two games in hand they’ll leapfrog Liverpool and possibly Newcastle into 5th.

A shout out should go to Danny Welbeck, who will play the 300th game of his career should he get on the field here.

Star Man – Kaoru Mitoma

Mitoma’s pace and trickery from the wing has provided 12 goal contributions in his first season in English football.

Crystal Palace Preview

Reasons to be cheerful

     Unbeaten in seven against Brighton

     Nothing like a derby to get the players fired up once more

Reasons to be fearful

     Winless from their 10 games in 2023

     Have become the first team to go three games without a shot on target

Crystal Palace are arguably in more trouble than their league position would suggest.

Although currently in 12th place, they are only three points ahead of the relegation zone. With all teams below them battling for survival, Palace will find themselves sucked into trouble if they don’t improve quickly.

Once again, it would appear that their dream of becoming a top-half team has gone, with the club a full 10 points behind 10th place Chelsea.

Even more worrying is their current form, which has seen them go three games without a shot on target, 10 games without victory this year, and 16 games without beating anyone from the top half.

They need a huge performance here.

Star Man – Wilf Zaha

Could play for the 300th time in his career here, a fine achievement for a player that deserves to play for a better club than Palace are right now.