The first wide delivery may not decide this derby; the next touch in the box could matter more. Brighton have several ways to keep pressure on, while Palace can play through midfield or go straight to a central target. Both sides have shown that restarts and loose second balls can create another chance after an attack appears over.
Groß and De Cuyper have supplied Brighton's runners with repeated balls into the box. Palace's answer starts with Wharton finding Kamada or Pino, or a longer pass into Strand Larsen for a teammate to collect the next ball. Wharton created chances against Forest and Lyon, and Pino and Kamada finished moves in both games.
Brighton are without Mitoma, Minteh and Wieffer, while Struijk's availability depends on his recovery. Disasi is suspended for Palace in the league, and Henderson and Mateta have been under assessment after missing the recent matches. Palace's attacking route is grounded in the players who actually took those roles against Forest and Lyon.
Brighton can make the opening push, but Palace's direct release and Wharton's restarts can bring Pino and Kamada into the box even after they have had to defend. If the home side gets ahead, those second contacts give Palace a route back into the contest. That's why I'm siding with Crystal Palace to take something from this match.
