WHO’S CRYING NOW?
Albion wind up Wilf but Palace have last laugh
AND just like that, black smoke engulfed t he South Coast sky and more darkness enveloped Brighton’ s Premier League prospects.
For much of the second half here, crisp packets and debris had gathered near Vicente Guaita’s goal as winds swirled and tension hung in the air — over this M23 derby and Brighton’ s future in this division.
Then, with 20 minutes to go, the real ruins were left at the other end. In a crucial game against their fiercest rivals, Brighton wasted chance after chance, only to be beaten by a mere spectator.
Jordan Ayew was conspicuous by his absence when Christian Benteke drove across the box and fed a reverse pass into the striker’s path.
When it mattered, though, Ayew sprung to life — sparking pandemonium and pyrotechnics among the visiting fans behind that goal. How Graham Potter could have done with even a shred of that clinical edge.
His side are looking over their shoulder with increasing concern. They are the only Premier League team not to taste victory so far in 2020 — and they will not have many better opportunities than this.
Palace, meanwhile, look safe after their first top-flight win at Brighton.
Ayew’s seven Premier League goals this season have won the Eagles 12 points — and after his 100th Premier League match in charge of Palace, Roy Hodgson praised his striker’s ‘ work- rate, that desire, that constant thorn in the opponents’ defence’.
For Potter, meanwhile, this was a ‘sore one’. ‘We did enough in the game to get something from it. That’s why it feels disappointing,’ he said.
The Albion manager remains ‘confident’ his side can avoid the drop.
‘We can’t feel sorry for ourselves,’ he said after they failed to score with 24 shots — their most in a Premier League game.
‘The most important stat is how many go in the back of the net and that’s where we fell short.’
The only saving grace for the home supporters? For once, Wilfried Zaha did not compound their misery. In stoppage time he and Cenk Tosun broke clear, only for the winger to hit the post with the goal gaping.
Within moments, he was squaring up to Neal Maupay — finishing the afternoon how he had started it.
Earlier, the winger had lit the blue touchpaper alongside Ezequiel Schelotto, who was only warming up when he took centre stage.
After 27 minutes, Zaha was flagged offside. Waiting near the byline were Schelotto and a wall of
Brighton fans — who wasted no time making their feelings known.
Zaha, who before t he game bemoaned his status as Palace’s ‘ pantomime villain’, smiled and cupped his hands to his ears. He took less kindly to Schelotto kicking the ball against him. The Brighton substitute was booked following the incident.
The handbags continued 10 minutes later, when Schelotto came back out to warm up and mocked the winger by pretending to cry.
The visitors started brightly, with Benteke fluffing a glorious chance before Gary Ca hill’ s header bounced over the bar.
Soon, though, Brighton grew into the ascendancy. Lewis Dunk’s header from a corner caused a brief scramble before Solly March hit the side netting after being found by a low Leandro Trossard cross. And the chances kept on coming. Another Dunk header s hortl y af t er t he break beat everyone apart from Maupay, who blocked his team-mate’s effort with his face.
Soon the striker had a glorious chance to make amends after Jairo Riedewald — on as a half- time substitute — slid in on Aaron Mooy. The ball ricocheted into the path of Maupay who, from inside the box, volleyed straight at Guaita.
It seemed Palace would struggle to stem the tide for much longer. Particularly because, antics aside, Zaha had been quiet and neither Ayew nor Benteke did little more than watch the game pass them by.
That is until they sprung to life, combining to send rivals Brighton further towards the mire.