Brighton to miss out on rare chance to go top
Brighton & Hove Albion face off against Crystal Palace in their heated 'derby' clash on Monday evening in the Premier League, full in the knowledge that an unexpected set of results on Saturday and Sunday have conspired to give Graham Potter's men the chance to be top of the tree on merit. However, the hosts aren't simply going to roll over and allow that to happen without an almighty battle. Read our preview here:
All mod Connors
Whilst not necessarily having the results to go along with their performances to date, Patrick Vieira's men have at least displayed enough to suggest that the spectre of relegation is quite unlikely to loom large at Selhurst Park come May. A massive overhaul of the squad was engineered over the summer, transforming it from one of the oldest to the youngest. Among the recruits have been a number of signings, temporary and permanent, from London rivals Chelsea. The most impressive of these to date has been midfielder Connor Gallagher, who has already weighed in with two goals and one assist from four matches. Moreover, his dynamism off and skill on the ball have allowed Palace to progress up the field at pace in situations not exclusive to counters, and whilst striker Christian Benteke for the moment is still starting (and contributing), Odsonne Edouard has already proven that his presence south of the border after joining from Celtic is a most welcome one, bolstering the options in attack.
The Neal deal
Famously, Brighton's low final position in 2020/2021 was largely said to be down to a huge discrepancy between their xG and actual goal output, an anomaly that appears to be correcting itself in the current campaign. Whilst still not prolific, a home defeat against Everton represents the Seagulls' only dropped points, and the biggest upturn compared to last year has been Neal Maupay. There was a clamour in the summer for the Sussex outfit to 'upgrade' in attack, but the French striker has netted three in five thus far, including crucial winners over Burnley and Leicester City. Ably supported in a 4-4-1-1 by the progressive instincts of Leandro Trossard and Danny Welbeck in particular, this has been combined with the defensive unit also appearing tighter.
Silver Graham
Rarely has this encounter had this high a profile, and while few would expect Brighton to sustain a tilt at the top even in the event of a win, Potter's troops should have a far more comfortable campaign. Palace too are defying some pundits' doom-mongering, so a draw with odds of 3.10 at bet365 looks tempting.
