Brighton vs Crystal Palace predictions: South coast stalemate on the cards
- Brighton are unbeaten in the league at home this season
- Crystal Palace looking to snap a six-game winless run against Albion
- Recommended bet: Draw
Fabian Hurzeler’s excellent start at Brighton is in danger of fizzling out after a dramatic comeback from Leicester led to a 2-2 draw on Saturday, marking a third game in a row without a win for the Seagulls.
The other two results in that run have seen them held by basement boys Southampton and beaten 3-1 by Fulham and they will be looking to get back on track against their rivals, Crystal Palace, at the Amex Stadium on Sunday.
However, things may not be that simple for the Seagulls as Oliver Glasner’s side have picked up some eye-catching results in recent weeks and they could have enough to frustrate their hosts on the south coast.
Team news
Long-term absentees, Solly March and James Milner look set to miss out again for the hosts, while Joel Veltman, Ferdi Kadioglu, Jack Hinshelwood and Adam Webster will be assessed.
As they have been all season, Rob Holding and Matheus Franca are unavailable for the Eagles, but there is some hope that key midfielder Adam Wharton may recover in time to feature in some capacity.
The stats
Brighton are winless in three matches, drawing two of those, while three of Crystal Palace’s last four matches have finished level.
The Eagles have lost just one of their last eight games and are unbeaten in their last four away matches.
Four of the last six meetings between these two sides have finished level.
Both teams have scored in the last seven matches at the Amex Stadium.
Prediction
Despite their recent struggles, Brighton will still be feeling confident ahead of this derby given that they are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Palace, winning each of the last two at the Amex.
However, the other four matches in that run have finished level, all ending 1-1, so it could pay to back the same outcome on Sunday.
The Seagulls being held by promoted duo Southampton and Leicester in their past three games also tempers enthusiasm in the hosts, especially as Palace have been in resurgent form of late.
The Eagles have lost just one of their last eight matches in a run which has seen them beat Tottenham and draw with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Manchester City, suggesting they have more than enough to earn a point on the south coast.
Their upturn in form has unsurprisingly coincided with the return of Eberechi Eze and, with Adam Wharton potentially available for this clash, Glasner may have all of his best players at his disposal on Sunday.
Brighton are still unbeaten at home in the Premier League this term, so an away win may be a bit too audacious, with the draw the most appealing bet as a result.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
