By OkayGoal
Brighton host Crystal Palace at the American Express Community Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with 13 points from six league games and three straight league wins.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side have scored a division-high 18 league goals and kept clean sheets in their last three league games, beating Coventry City 5-0, Arsenal 3-0 and Sunderland 2-0. They beat Kauno Zalgiris 4-0 in the Conference League on Thursday. Hurzeler has failed to beat Palace in four meetings (D1 L3), and Brighton’s last derby win came in February 2024. Asked what he enjoys about the rivalry, Hurzeler said nothing yet, because he has not won a game. Palace won the last meeting 1-0 at the Amex in February.
Brighton team news
Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring), Femi Azeez, Zadok Yohanna, Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) are unavailable. Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer (knee) remain sidelined but could return quite soon, Hurzeler said, while he hopes Mitoma is back for the November international break. Pascal Struijk (hamstring) was due to be assessed on Saturday after his red card at Sunderland was rescinded on appeal.
Charalampos Kostoulas is expected to lead the line again, having scored against Arsenal on 19 September. Jack Hinshelwood returned from injury and scored against Kauno Zalgiris, but Hurzeler is expected to revert to his preferred league side, with Georginio Rutter and Ibrahim Osman, who both delivered in midweek, dropping out.
Pascal Gross, who has seven goal contributions in six league games, returns after being rested for the final half-hour on Thursday. Maxim De Cuyper continues on the left in Mitoma’s and Minteh’s absence, and Brighton are chasing a fourth consecutive league clean sheet. Luka Vuskovic is expected to partner Struijk in defence.
Brighton predicted lineup
Brighton possible starting XI: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Vuskovic, Struijk, Boscagli; Gross, Andres, Gomez, Ayari, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
When will the match kick off?
The Premier League match kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, 18 October 2026.
How to watch Brighton vs Crystal Palace?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports.
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