This has been a very, very long time coming for Crystal Palace supporters. The last time they were able to celebrate doing the double over Brighton in the 1932-3 season in the old Division Three South, the two clubs weren’t even rivals and it would be another 14 years before Roy Hodgson was born.
But with an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa to come later this month, Daniel Muñoz’s winner at the start of the second half made it another memorable afternoon for Oliver Glasner’s side after Danny Welbeck had cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 13th Premier League goal of the season. Not even late red cards for Eddie Nketiah and captain Marc Guéhi could dampen the celebrations in south London as Palace moved to within four points of Fabian Hürzeler’s side with a game in hand.
Brighton, who have now lost three times in the space of seven days and also had Jan Paul van Hecke sent off in a bad-tempered finish to the game as Yasin Ayari was denied a late equaliser by the outstanding Dean Henderson, can see their opportunity of qualifying for Europe again slipping away.
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