Brighton 5-0 Crystal Palace: Fabian Hurzeler's side hit five in emphatic derby win as Gomez nets wondergoal
Report and free match highlights as Brighton cemented their place towards the top of the Premier League with a big win in the M23 derby; Fabian Hurzerler's side were 3-0 up inside 10 minutes against abject Crystal Palace
Sunday 18 October 2026 16:49, UK
Brighton dismantled rivals Crystal Palace 5-0 as Diego Gomez scored from the halfway line in a very one-sided M23 derby.
For Palace, it was a case of gone in 600 seconds as Brighton stormed into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes, combining incredible intensity with jaw-dropping quality.
The opener was a nightmare for Jaydee Canvot, whose own goal set the tone for a miserable afternoon for the visitors following a Pascal Gross delivery from the left.
Palace needed to steady themselves. Instead, they completely lost their bearings.
What followed was simply outrageous. Gomez spotted an opportunity from the halfway line and produced a moment of audacious brilliance, catching Palace off guard with a strike that could be replayed for years to come
Before Palace could even catch their breath, Yasin Ayari made it 3-0 inside 10 minutes. Three goals, barely any time to process them and a derby that had threatened to be a contest being completely dominated by this brilliant Brighton side.
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Palace needed a reaction after the break, but Brighton had other ideas. The hosts struck again just three minutes into the second half to make it 4-0, with Charalampos Kostoulas getting the goal his performance deserved. A VAR check for handball threatened to spoil the moment, but the goal stood after yet more intelligent work down the flank from Gross.
Jean Philippe-Mateta hit the bar for lacklustre Palace who conceded one final goal before the day was out when substitute Jack Hinshelwood bundled home a late fifth.
Brighton have now taken 16 points from the first seven matches this season and this victory caps a big turnaround for boss Fabian Hurzeler, who was booed off in this fixture last season after Palace won 1-0.
The key moments from the AMEX Stadium
- 4: GOAL! Gross sends in a wicked delivery from the right flank and Canvot plants a header past his own goalkeeper.
- 7: GOAL OF THE SEASON?! Gomez takes aim from fully 50 yards with Benitez out of his goal and connects perfectly to score one of the best goals you'll ever see.
- 10: GOAL! Gomez and Kostoulas pull the Palace defence apart which frees up Ayari to fire home to make it 3-0 inside a wild 10 minutes.
- 48: GOAL! Kostoulas is on hand to punish more hapless defending from Palace to increase Brighton's lead.
- 84: GOAL! Hinshelwood is on hand to pop up to make 5-0 to cap a commanding victory.
Brighton's faith in Hurzeler has been rewarded
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
There was a time when Hurzeler could barely win over his own supporters. Now he has Brighton dreaming again.
Back in February, Hurzeler was booed off at the Amex after a 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace. The frustration was palpable. Questions were being asked, patience was wearing thin.
Fast forward to this 5-0 demolition of their fiercest rivals and the transformation is remarkable.
This is what happens when a club refuses to panic. Brighton could have pulled the trigger when the noise around Hurzeler was at its loudest. Instead, they trusted their process and back their man.
That faith is now paying dividends.
Brighton have always prided themselves on smart decision-making, from recruitment to managerial appointments.
Hurzeler is the latest example of that philosophy working.
And what better way to underline that progress than by dismantling Palace?
The boos of February feel a long way away. Brighton are going places.
Crystal Palace have taken a giant step backwards
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
Crystal Palace have won three trophies in the previous two seasons. On this evidence, they look a million miles away from those glories.
This was Pierre Sage's worst day as Palace boss by some distance. There have been defeats this season where you could at least point to some decent football, a positive spell or an individual performance worth celebrating. At the Amex, there was nothing. No resistance, no response.
Brighton ripped them apart in a 5-0 humiliation that exposed just how far Palace have fallen. The defensive holes were glaring. Replacing Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix was never going to be straightforward but the scale of the problem is becoming impossible to ignore. Palace look vulnerable every time opponents turn up the pressure.
Last weekend, Nottingham Forest missed seven big chances in their defeat to Palace. That was a warning sign, perhaps one that was easy to dismiss with three points in the bag. Brighton offered no such charity. They punished Palace's mistakes ruthlessly.
Sage must find answers quickly. If Palace continue to concede chances at this rate, the pressure on their manager will grow with every passing week. Their recent trophy haul feels a long way away.
Nowhere near good enough, says Wharton
Palace midfielder Adam Wharton speaking to Sky Sports:
"We couldn't have started any worse. Nowhere near good enough from any of us from the start to the end. When you put yourself in that position it's never going to be easy. They're a team in form with good players. We made it very difficult for ourselves. It's nowhere near good enough.
"We've had slow starts in other games, we're not intending to do that. We need to sort it out. It makes it hard to get back into the game. We need to sort it out and fast, otherwise we're going to struggle in future games.
"We were too slow. They were winning the second balls, the duels. We were second to everything. They got momentum and got another two [goals] quickly. When you concede early you need to tighten up but three was a disaster.
"We've got to look at everything to do better. It's terrible. The fans deserve better. This club can't be having a result like this. We need to put it right in the next game."
