Brighton's Champions League dream bolstered by England hopeful

There are now only six points between Brighton and the top four, and two games in hand for Roberto De Zerbi’s side as they look to chase Tottenham Hotspur. The league table does not lie in these situations and it is a reality of Brighton’s season that they are now genuine contenders for the Champions League.

With Solly March continuing to provide goals in attack, Moises Caicedo running matches in midfield and Lewis Dunk as solid as ever at the back, Brighton are only looking up the table, and their fans are now allowing themselves to dream of European adventures.

On March 15th it was March, in the 15th minute, who secured this latest win for Brighton. A weird quirk of fate perhaps, but a victory that was no fluke. From the moment March’s shot nestled in the corner of Crystal Palace’s net, this game was under Brighton’s control. If anything, the scoreline flattered a Palace team that started well but faded badly.

March’s latest effort took him to seven goals since the World Cup break, and De Zerbi said afterwards that he feels the 28-year-old has earned a chance to represent England in the upcoming international fixtures. “I think he deserves to play in the national team,” said De Zerbi. “But it is only my opinion.”

For Brighton, this victory ended a run of seven matches without a win against their fiercest rivals. For Palace, it further underlined the growing number of problems facing Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman is under mounting pressure and, although he claimed this was an improved performance from his players, there needs to be a drastic upturn in results soon.

Palace are the only Premier League team without a win in 2023 this season and they are sliding towards the relegation zone at pace. Vieira admitted afterwards that he was concerned about the lack of goals in his team, but said he was not upset with the overall showing. Many Palace supporters, it feels safe to say, might not feel the same.

“The ruthlessness, this killer instinct — that is what we're missing at the moment,” said Vieira, who reunites with Arsenal this weekend. “I never questioned the relationship or the confidence I have in the players and the players have for me. The way we have played showed we are together. I don’t have any worries about the relationship between the players and myself.”

These are dark days at Palace and it was a measure of their luck — or lack of it — that they arrived in Brighton without a senior goalkeeper. Vicente Guaita and Sam Johnstone were both injured, meaning that Vieira had to turn to 19-year-old Joe Whitworth, a former Palace ball boy, between the posts.

Whitworth was far from being the problem. Instead it was Palace’s forwards who fell short, with Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Odsonne Edouard all missing clear opportunities in the first few minutes, before March converted Kaoru Mitoma’s measured through ball.

That opening goal changed the feel and course of the match, with Brighton going on to dominate the majority of the evening in front of owner Tony Bloom, who had also enjoyed considerable success at Cheltenham earlier in the day.

Brighton’s only complaints were around their own lack of efficiency in attack, and for a yellow card — and subsequent touchline suspension — for De Zerbi. The Italian had complained too forcefully about refereeing decisions, after Palace’s Cheick Doucoure had somehow avoided a second booking for a lunging foul.These are minor quibbles, though, for a coach and a team that are rising fast and aiming high.