On 21 December, one of the matches of the 18th round of the English football championship took place. Crl Palace (London) and Brighton (England) met.
English Championship, 18th round
KrlPalace (London) - Brighton (England) - 1:1 (1:0)
Goals: J. Ayew (45+1) - Welbeck (82)
Warnings: J. Mateta (29), Carlos Baleba (31), Hughes (50), T. Mitchell (54), Igor Julio (58), D. Ozoh (86). Ozoh (86)
Crystal Palace hosted Brighton in a tense Premier League match at Selhurst Park, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams fought for every inch of the pitch and the result perfectly reflected their determination and resilience. The first half started at a high tempo as both teams tried to establish their dominance early on. In the 29th minute, Crystal Palace's J. Mateta received a yellow card, setting the tone for a tense encounter. Two minutes later, Brighton's K. Balleba was also sent off. However, just before the break Crystal Palace managed to snatch victory. In the 45th minute, J. Ayew hit the opponent's goal, which delighted the fans of the home team. At the beginning of the second half Brighton made two substitutions, trying to turn the game in their favour. In the 46th minute, S. Adingra replaced D. Welbeck, and K. Balleba came on in place of F. Buonanotte. In the 50th minute, Crystal Palace player W. Hughes received a yellow card, which further increased tension on the pitch. The game continued to be a tense struggle, both teams created chances, but could not bring it to an end. In the 54th minute, T. Mitchell received a yellow card for Crystal Palace, adding to the growing list of penalties in the match.
Brighton's Igor followed suit just four minutes later. As time wore on, both managers decided to make substitutions to bring fresh energy and ideas into the game. In the 59th minute, Crystal Palace released D. Ozoh in place of V. Hughes and in the 70th minute, J. Ayew replaced E. Eze. "Brighton" also made tactical changes: in the 75th minute J. Hinshelwood was replaced by A. Lallana. Lallana. However, it was the exit of K. Mitoma instead of J. Moder in the 83rd minute was decisive for the away team. In the 82nd minute, Brighton's persistence bore fruit: D. Welbeck equalised, much to the disappointment of Crystal Palace fans. This goal energised the game, and in the final minutes both teams strived for victory. Tensions rose in the final stages of the match, leading to yellow cards for D. Ozoh and D. Henderson of Crystal Palace in the 85th and 90th minutes respectively. As a result, neither team was able to score the winning goal, and the match ended in a hard-fought 1-1 draw. This tense battle demonstrated the competitive nature of the Premier League. Both Crystal Palace and Brighton showed their determination and resilience throughout the match, and the fans were looking forward to the next meeting on the football field.
The following matches await the rivals in the next round: Chelsea vs Crystal Palace, Brighton vs Tottenham.
| Crystal Palace | Brighton | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 6 |
| 11 | Kicks | 18 |
| 5 | Blocked shots | 5 |
| 10 | Penalty kicks | 10 |
| 1 | Penalty kicks | 8 |
| 12 | Offences | 11 |
| 3 | Corner | 1 |
| 1 | Offsides | 2 |
| 35% | Ball possession | 65% |
| 5 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 5 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 365 | Total assists | 697 |
| 284 | Accurate assists | 633 |
| 78% | Accuracy of passes | 91% |