Crystal Palace finally ended their long winless run by beating Brighton 1-0 in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Eagles have endured a wretched sequence in recent months, failing to win in 2026 ahead of this fixture, last beating Shelbourne 3-0 in the Uefa Conference League on 11th December, four days after their last Premier League win.
However, after a first half to forget for both sides, Palace finally broke the deadlock in this bizarre rivalry, with Ismaila Sarr beating Bart Verbruggen after great work from substitute Evann Guessand.
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Instant Guessand impact as Sarr haunts Brighton again
Make no mistake, this was a tough game to watch at times.
In the first half, Brighton and Palace mustered just one shot on target between them, with the ball spending agonisingly long spells being traded around in midfield. The hosts edged the early stages, but that is by no means meant as praise to the performance of Fabian Hurzeler’s men.
Shortly after the half-time break, however, Oliver Glasner introduced Guessand — signed on loan from Aston Villa in January — and that proved to be the turning point.
Guessand injected a much-needed element of urgency into the match, willing to drive the ball forward without a second thought and, most importantly, being most alert to loose balls.
Evann Guessand stats vs Brighton:
- Minutes: 34
- Touches: 14
- Chances created: 1
- Assists: 1
- Accurate passes: 5/6 (83%)
- Tackles: 2
- Recoveries: 1
- Duels won: 4/8 (50%)
It was the latter quality that was vital to Palace opening the scoring, with debutant Guessand pouncing on a ball in midfield and powering forward before feeding Sarr, who just about managed to beat Verbruggen.
Sarr was a fitting goalscorer for Palace after the Senegal international posed about as big a threat as any visiting player during the opening 45 minutes.
For Guessand, it was the perfect introduction to the Palace supporters. For Sarr, meanwhile, it was a continuation of his excellent record against Brighton, with this his third goal at the Amex Stadium, more than any other away ground across his career so far.
Brighton 0-1 Crystal Palace: Where result leaves two sides and what is next
Sunday’s win sees Palace leapfrog Brighton into 13th place, and Glasner will hope this can spark a surge back up the Premier League table, with his side hosting the bottom two, Burnley and Wolves, in their next matches.
Of course, the Eagles must also navigate a two-legged Uefa Conference League last 32 tie against Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar during that time, but Glasner will feel that he has more than enough at his disposal to come through all four games unscathed.
As for Brighton, they’ve won just one of their last 12 Premier League matches and none of their last five, in a run that’s seen them slide to 14th.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Seagulls from here, with trips to Aston Villa and Brentford up next, either side of an FA Cup tie against Liverpool at Anfield.
Fabian Hurzeler is a manager under pressure right now, and results like this won’t do anything to help him sleep easier at night.