Neal Maupay on Monday snatched a last-gasp equalizer as Brighton & Hove Albion rescued a dramatic 1-1 draw against arch rivals Crystal Palace.
Trailing to Wilfried Zaha’s first-half penalty, Brighton avoided defeat in the most remarkable fashion.
With just seconds left at Selhurst Park, French striker Maupay punished a poor clearance from Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita to leave the hosts stunned.
Photo: Reuters
Brighton have been this season’s surprise package, and a victory in south London would have taken them into first place in the top tier for the first time in their 120-year history.
While coach Graham Potter’s side were unable to achieve that lofty aim, stealing a point in the derby clash was sufficient consolation.
They sit sixth in the table, just one point behind leaders Liverpool.
“When you’re 1-0 down going into the 96th minute and you score it feels like a win,” Potter said. “It’s a fantastic feeling to get the equalizer. The spirit is amazing.”
Born in the 1970s as a result of a spat between then-Palace manager Terry Venables and his Brighton counterpart Alan Mullery, the Eagles and the Seagulls have an unusually bitter rivalry for two clubs located 72km apart.
Their meetings have been dubbed “El Gatwicko” in a reference to Gatwick Airport, which is between Selhurst Park and Brighton.
While few would mistake this curious grudge match for the intensity of the Manchester or Merseyside derbies, there was no doubting the passion of the Brighton players and fans as they celebrated at the final whistle.
It was cruel on Palace manager Patrick Vieira, whose side dominated for long periods, but have just one win from their first six league games under the former Arsenal star.
“We are really gutted. We played a good game, conceding a goal in the last kick of the game — it’s something that is difficult to accept,” Vieira said.
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