Crystal Palace End Winless Run At Brighton As Glasner Relief Shines

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Crystal Palace finally ended a 12-game winless run in all competitions with a tight victory over Brighton, easing pressure on Oliver Glasner and lifting the club nine points clear of 18th-placed West Ham, after Ismaila Sarr struck the only goal in the 61st minute at their rivals' ground.

The result came at a time when both clubs needed clarity on their Premier League direction, with Palace gaining breathing space from the bottom three while Brighton slipped further towards the group of teams threatened by the drop after another frustrating outing without a win.

This win brought brief relief during a difficult spell for Crystal Palace, which had included club captain Marc Guehi leaving for Manchester City and an FA Cup third-round exit against non-league Macclesfield, a defeat that highlighted the depth of the side's struggles across competitions this season.

Glasner has already confirmed an exit from Crystal Palace at the end of the season, yet the manager still savoured the derby success at Brighton, especially as it arrived away from Selhurst Park and against direct rivals, at a stadium where the fan rivalry continues to carry extra emotional weight.

Across this Premier League campaign, Crystal Palace have collected 63% of their points away from Selhurst Park, with 20 of 32 points earned on the road, and only Thomas Frank's Tottenham record a bigger away share with 66%, while each of Palace's last four league victories has also arrived away from home.

Glasner captured the mood among Crystal Palace supporters after the final whistle, explaining the pressure lifted by the victory and underlining the importance of the performance in testing conditions at Brighton's ground, where the team focused on structure rather than expansive football to close out a needed result. "Winning after months of not winning and then in an away game against Brighton, where it means so much for our fans, it's a great Sunday afternoon,said Glasner. It was a relief. We can talk and analyse but you can never replace a win. We deserved it at the end. We couldn't expect to play our best football, but we were very compact and aggressive."

Brighton, in contrast, extended a poor Premier League sequence, and are now without a victory in their last five league matches, with opponents around them in the table beginning to collect points and apply pressure, raising concern that a once comfortable position could slide towards a survival battle.

Over their most recent 12 league fixtures, Brighton have claimed one win, a 2-0 success against Burnley in January, alongside six draws and five defeats; since the first match in this spell, on 3 December against Aston Villa, Brighton sit 18th in the form table with nine points, having entered that period in fifth place.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler addressed Brighton's situation after the defeat, stating that players and staff must deal honestly with their level and decision-making during matches, while stressing dedication to finding answers as pressures increase on the squad following the club's slide down the Premier League standings. "[It's] not an easy moment, but that is football and we will face. The game was not our best game, so we have to be self-critical. Until the first goal, it was not our best game, but it was how we reacted. We didn't stay in our structure and made easy mistakes. Goals always happen after mistakes. We are all disappointed and know we have problems at the moment but it is about finding solutions. It is football. I have to accept emotions are part of the game I am fully committed to this club and try my best along with the players."

Key recent league numbers for Crystal Palace and Brighton set the context for the result:

Scenes in the tunnel underlined what the derby meant to Crystal Palace players and staff, with celebrations reflecting months of frustration released in one result at Brighton's stadium, as attention now moves to whether Glasner's side can build momentum from a display based more on discipline than attacking rhythm.

The match leaves Crystal Palace with renewed confidence and a cushion above West Ham, while Brighton face growing scrutiny after a long spell of poor league form, with both clubs aware that their remaining fixtures will define whether this derby becomes a turning point or a further warning sign.