Three Red Cards & Derby Drama: The Fierce Rivalry Between Crystal Palace and Brighton Explained

The Fiery Clash That Reignited a Historic Rivalry

Last night's match at Selhurst Park was far from ordinary. What began as a seemingly routine Premier League fixture escalated into a dramatic showdown, complete with three red cards and wild celebrations that reminded everyone why Crystal Palace and Brighton share one of English football's most underrated rivalries.

Chaos on the Pitch

The game started explosively with Jean-Philippe Mateta curling a beautiful strike into the top corner just three minutes in. Brighton responded through Danny Welbeck, who became Brighton's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer, before Daniel Munoz scored what would prove to be the winner for Palace.

Then came the madness:

• Eddie Nketiah, Palace's recent signing from Arsenal, was sent off after just 10 minutes on the pitch for two quick yellow cards - one for simulation and another for a high boot.
• Marc Guehi followed suit with a late challenge, reducing Palace to nine men.
• Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke capped off the disciplinary chaos with a red card in injury time.

Despite playing with nine men for over 12 minutes of stoppage time (which stretched to nearly 14 minutes), Palace held on for a dramatic 2-1 victory.

Origins of the Rivalry

Why do these clubs, separated by 45 miles, share such animosity? The roots go back to 1976:

• The teams played five times in quick succession when penalty shootouts didn't exist - including three matches to decide an FA Cup tie.
• After Palace finally won the third meeting, Brighton manager Alan Mullery claimed Palace fans poured boiling coffee on him, leading to his infamous "That's all you're worth, Crystal Palace" response after throwing coins on the floor.
• The animosity grew when Brighton changed their nickname from Dolphins to Seagulls, which Palace fans saw as copying their Eagles moniker.

The rivalry reached new heights in 2013 when Palace defeated Brighton in the Championship playoff semifinal en route to Premier League promotion - a game marred by Palace finding excrement in their dressing room before kickoff.

Manager Reactions

Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace manager:

"It's a massive win but I'm really exhausted because there was so much going on... The fighting spirit of the team and the togetherness with our fans, it is just really great to experience."

Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton manager:

"Very emotional game, a very wild game... In some moments, we weren't mature enough. It didn't help us to get the rhythm back."

Historical Context

This victory marked Palace's first league double over Brighton since the 1932-33 season when both clubs were in the third division. The five previous meetings at Selhurst Park had all ended 1-1, making this chaotic encounter even more significant.