Roberto De Zerbi had to settle for just a point in his 50th league game in charge, as the Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion rivalry returned to the frequently seen 1-1 result, the fourth time in the last five matches the tie has ended this way.
Danny Welbeck brought the Seagulls level with a fantastic looping header from the around the penalty area in the 82nd minute with Pascal Gross picking up the assist. The equaliser deservedly came for Brighton after they had dominated the second half.
Embed from Getty ImagesSpeaking to SkySports after the match, Welbeck said: “I think as a group we are a bit disappointed because we wanted to come here and get the three points. I feel like we should be a bit higher in the table with the way we’ve performed and there have been some results that got away from us. It happened again tonight.”
Welbeck and fellow half-time substitute Facundo Buonanotte provided Brighton with a needed spark after they entered the half trailing 1-0. A rejuvenated team added five shots on target to just the one they managed in the opening 45.
Brighton came close to finding an unusual winning goal when Dean Henderson attempted to clear the ball but instead punched it into Welbeck’s face, it then bounced narrowly wide.
After what had been a quiet first half, Jordan Ayew headed home a perfectly placed cross from Michael Olise in the 45th minute to give the home side the lead, a result of the Seagull’s failed attempt to play out from the back.
Referencing the first half post-match, De Zerbi said: “I think we lost two points. It’s because we made too many mistakes, especially in the first half. In the second half we played with more energy to find the chance to score.”
Brighton started with teenagers Simon Adingra, Jack Hinshelwood and Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba in the lineup and became the first Premier League team in history to reach 100 appearances for teens in a calendar year.
De Zerbi said: “We have to accept the policy of the club is to play with many young players. With the young players you have to give them time to make mistakes. Baleba is perhaps not ready to play in the Premier League yet but he will be a great player.”
After the match Roy Hodgson said: “I can’t deny Brighton were worthy of a point. But at the end of the day, in a derby, you have to be satisfied with a point.
“We had a young lad [David Ozoh] in his second game, Ebe Eze after injury, that didn’t make us stronger. Brighton asked us a lot more questions, which led to the equaliser.
“We have played three of the best teams in the league in our last three games and have done alright.”
The draw moved Brighton up to eighth in the Premier League, one point behind Manchester United, whilst Palace kept their place at 15th, eight points clear of relegation.
