Brighton 0-0 Crystal Palace
Brighton 0-0 Crystal Palace
CHANCE! Gross finds Dunk at the back stick again but his header is off target.
Brighton 0-0 Crystal Palace
Brighton 0-0 Crystal Palace
Sky Sports News' Gary Cotterill at the Amex:
"The smoke from the pyrotechnics taking time to clear. Some atmosphere already."
Brighton 0-0 Crystal Palace
Brighton 0-0 Crystal Palace
Let's play!
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Here come the teams!
Time for some "Sussex by the Sea!"
Teams in the tunnel!
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones at The Amex:
“Crystal Palace will hoping that Jorgen Strand Larsen can boost an attack that has been underperforming dramatically in recent weeks. Across the last nine games, Palace are the lowest scorers in Premier League with just five goals.
“Of course, Strand Larsen has no non-penalty goal in 22 Premier League games this season playing in a struggling Wolves side.
“He looked to be fully revved up in the warm-up. Keen to make his mark, no doubt.”
Who's in charge?
Referee: Thomas Brammall
Assistants: Lee Betts, Simon Long
Fourth official: Sam Barrott
VAR: James Bell
'Howell the latest product of famous footballing family'
Sky Sports News' Gary Cotterill at the Amex:
"Brighton’s Premier League debutant Harry Howell is just the latest product of a famous footballing family, the Hinshelwood's.
"His cousin Jack is on the bench today. As is a man at the other end of his career, James Milner.
"Harry is 651 appearances behind him.
"The entire stadium, even Palace fans, are hoping Milner comes on to equal that Premier League appearance record by joining Gareth Barry on 653."
Premier League launches new LGBTQ+ initiative
The Premier League has launched a new LGBTQ+ initiative to bring together and build on the ongoing work of the league and clubs to help deliver long-term change.
All top-flight matches from February 6 to 12 are dedicated to 'Premier League With Pride’, aligning with LGBTQ+ History Month.
This period provides an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in football, showcasing the work undertaken to make the game more inclusive.
The Premier League With Pride initiative has been developed in consultation with clubs, representatives from LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups and a wide range of stakeholders, with a focus on embedding three core themes throughout the league and clubs’ work: education, celebration and action.
The league is also collaborating with the national LGBTQ+ listening service Switchboard, which provides confidential support to members of the community.
Learn more about Premier League With Pride here.
Milner set to equal Barry's record...
Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones at The Amex:
“James Milner could make a bit of history this afternoon if coming off the bench. It would draw him level with Gareth Barry’s all-time appearance record of 653 Premier League appearances. It’s worth adding that Milner is some way down the list when it comes to most minutes played in Premier League history, 14th in fact owing to his ratio of 62 minutes per appearance. Barry’s for example is up at 83.4 minutes.”
Jones Knows: Back the draw at 13/5
Sky Sports' betting expert Lewis Jones:
"Crystal Palace have not won in their last 12 games in all competitions but everyone knows about their current plight. But it's pretty gloomy at Brighton too, who have finally started to prove me right in how much of an overrated team they are. Just one win in 11 games means Fabian Hurzeler is facing huge pressure now.
"And, this is exactly the type of opposition they struggle against: low block, long quick vertical football and a head-to-head record of winning just two of the last 13 games with their rivals. Looking at the match odds, where Brighton are around Evens, market forces are also now becoming cold on this Brighton team which is quite a big pointer that Hurzeler is going to struggle to turn this around.
"Trusting Palace though isn't viable either, meaning the draw makes lots of sense to back at 13/5 with Sky Bet."
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1
How they shape up...
Debut for Strand Larsen, Wharton returns
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
"Jorgen Strand Larsen makes his Palace debut in the absence of Jean-Philippe Mateta who is waiting to find out if he needs surgery on his knee injury. Adam Wharton is back in midfield after suspension which means Jefferson Lerma moves back into the back three."
What a moment for 17yo Howell!
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones at The Amex:
"A real curveball thrown from Fabian Hurzeler with the call to hand Harry Howell, just 17, a full Premier League debut. He has started just one game for the first team this season in a 6-0 win at Oxford. He looks to be playing on the right of the Brighton front three. Good luck, son.
"There's other changes too. Kostoulas, just 18 himself, makes just his second Premier League start in attack with Danny Welbeck on the bench. There's no Jean Paul van Hecke in the squad so Oliver Boscagli is in."
Crystal Palace team news - Strand Larsen makes debut
Team to play Brighton: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Munoz, Mitchell, Hughes, Wharton, Sarr, Pino, Strand Larsen
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Brighton team news: Hurzeler rings the changes!
Team to play Crystal Palace: Verbruggen, Kadioglu, Boscagli, Dunk, De Cuyper, Baleba, Gross, Rutter, Mitoma, Howell, Kostoulas
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Hello and welcome!
Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside.
In terms of location this one doesn't fit the bill of a local derby but a rivalry it certainly is. It's one of the biggest games of the season for both fanbases. And boy could both teams do with a positive result.
We're all set at The Amex for a game to savour.
Teams dropping shortly.
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Mateta ruled out ahead of potential surgery
Jean-Philippe Mateta will decide next week whether to have surgery on an ongoing knee issue which quashed his chances of joining AC Milan in the January transfer window, Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has revealed.
The France forward has been playing with a swollen knee for much of this season and failed a medical in Italy on Transfer Deadline Day, thwarting a move which would have seen him join the Serie A giants for a £26m fee.
Mateta will not feature against Brighton or in next weekend's game with Burnley ahead of his assessment to determine whether to go under the knife this season.
The Palace boss said: "I mention often that we have to manage his knee, so the most important thing is the player's welfare. There were no concerns we have taken a higher risk, we have rested him in some games and training sessions.
"It was not a big surprise that he could fail. He knew it was possible. When you play for two-and-a-half months with a swollen knee, it has to be managed and we all know there is an issue with his knee.
"He was not pleased but when you visit three doctors, you get three opinions. This is what we have right now.
"We have an opinion from an English doctor, one from an Italian, one from French and a German one is coming too who he trusts from when he was a Mainz player.
"We will see another doctor on Monday and then we will sit together and make a final decision. There are two ways to deal with this one - one is to manage it until after the World Cup, he has a dream of playing for France at the World Cup.
"The other option is that he gets surgery. We don't know [which works better for the World Cup]. Surgery could keep him out for two months, it could be three months, or it could be six to nine months."
Jean-Philippe Mateta: Crystal Palace striker may undergo surgery on knee issue, head coach Oliver Glasner confirms
Sky Sports