It was a game that, for the neutral, had little riding on it - but try telling Crystal Palace and Brighton that.
Three red cards - two for the Eagles, one for the Seagulls - and wild celebrations from the hosts following a dramatic 2-1 win showed that it wasn't 'just another game' to the teams involved.
Supporters of other sides often poke fun at the fixture because of the 45-mile distance between the clubs, but it's a dislike that has been building since the 1970s.
You won't find anyone from either club referring to it as the 'M23 derby' - as it is so often called in some quarters - but this was the latest chapter in a serious rivalry.
What happened?
Palace went in front through Jean-Philippe Mateta in just the third minute when the striker, who has built cult hero status with supporters thanks to his goals and corner-kicking celebration, curled into the top corner.
Danny Welbeck equalised with a goal that made him Brighton's all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League, before wing-back Daniel Munoz scored what proved to be the winner.
Then came the chaos.
Eddie Nketiah has had a mixed time at Crystal Palace since his move from Arsenal in a deal worth up to £30m. The one-time England international was brought on in the 68th minute here - only to be sent off 10 minutes later.
His first booking was for simulation when he went to ground in the penalty area after a challenge from Pervis Estupinan, and then he received a second yellow for a high foot on Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke.
The game looked like it was unravelling for the Eagles when Marc Guehi was sent off for a late challenge, leaving Palace with the prospect of playing a lengthy stint of added time - 12 minutes were signalled, almost 14 played - with nine players.
The red cards did not stop there and Van Hecke received one when he brought down Daichi Kamada six minutes into injury time.
Why is it a rivalry?
It's a rivalry that might not leap to mind first for every football fan.
But a rivalry is exactly what Palace and Brighton have.
It all started when the two teams played each other five times in 1976.
Crystal Palace were managed by Terry Venables and Brighton were led by Alan Mullery. The two had been team-mates at Tottenham Hotspur but were never close.
It was an FA Cup first-round tie, rather than a league game, that caused the original controversy.
This was in the days before penalty shootouts were an option to decide FA Cup ties. If a match was drawn, there was a replay. And the teams involved kept on replaying until there was a winner.
After two draws, Crystal Palace beat Brighton 1-0 in the third game.
Afterwards, Brighton boss Mullery says he had a pot of boiling hot coffee poured on him by Palace fans.
"So I pulled a handful of change out of my pocket, threw it on the floor and shouted, 'That's all you're worth, Crystal Palace,'" he told the Guardian - and since then the two clubs have never got on.
Brighton used to be known as the Dolphins but changed their nickname to the Seagulls and Palace fans argue it was done to be similar to their nickname, the Eagles.
Palace have been in the Premier League since 2013 - thanks to goals from ...
