The M23 Derby takes centre stage in the Premier League on Thursday as struggling Crystal Palace entertain rivals Brighton & Hove Albion at Selhurst Park.
Without a win in six matches, the Eagles have dropped to 15th in the table – eight points above the relegation zone.
Not the result we wanted but an incredible captain's performance from Dunky! ✊ pic.twitter.com/2zxPQUB7aZ— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 18, 2023
Not the result we wanted but an incredible captain's performance from Dunky! ✊ pic.twitter.com/2zxPQUB7aZ
As for the Seagulls, they occupy ninth place in the standings, having opened up a nine-point gap between them and Roy Hodgson’s side.
Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to snatch a late draw against Manchester City on Saturday, with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 76th-minute goal preceding Michael Olise’s stoppage-time equaliser.
Despite seeing just 25% possession while facing a barrage of 19 shots, the Eagles managed to leave the Etihad Stadium with a precious point.
Still, Hodgson’s men have failed to win any of their last six Premier League matches, recording two draws and four defeats in the process.
When you look at the bigger picture, Crystal Palace have managed to win just one of their previous 10 league outings, failing to win any of their last six at home.
Brighton, meanwhile, suffered a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal last time out, conceding 26 shots while managing a solitary attempt on target in reply.
That loss ended a three-game unbeaten streak for the Seagulls, who chalked up two wins and one draw before Sunday’s failure at the Emirates.
It is also worth noting that Robert De Zerbi’s men have lost only two of their previous 12 matches across all competitions, winning their Europa League group for good measure.
That said, Brighton have only managed to win two of their last 11 Premier League encounters, so they will be eager to discover some domestic consistency.
Head-to-head: Crystal Palace and Brighton have each won two of the past nine Premier League meetings, playing out five 1-1 draws during that period.
Interestingly, the home team in this fixture has won just one of the previous nine encounters, giving Brighton an edge on Thursday.
Team news: Crystal Palace are currently without Cheick Doucoure, Rob Holding, Sam Johnstone, Odsonne Edouard, Jefferson Lerma and Joel Ward due to injury.
Brighton also have multiple injury absentees, with Solly March, Joel Veltman, Julio Enciso, Tariq Lamptey, Adam Webster, Pervis Estupinan and Ansu Fati on the sidelines.
Given that Crystal Palace have failed to win any of their last six games – suffering four defeats in that time – Hodgson’s men are low on confidence right now.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Brighton will claim all three points at Selhurst Park, although the hosts are expected to push the visitors all the way.