The start could hardly have been quicker. At 4′, a Pascal Groß cross caused panic and Jaydee Canvot headed into his own net. Just three minutes later, Diego Gómez guided in Brighton’s second after a measured ball from Olivier Boscagli. By 10′, Yasin Ayari had found the bottom corner following Charalampos Kostoulas’ neat assist, and the derby was effectively decided.

Palace struggled to get out. In the first half, Brighton led shots 8-3 and put five on target to Palace’s one. Despite a modest first-half xG of 0.38 to 0.12, Brighton made their moments count through better shot selection and delivery. The hosts also controlled territory, logging 37 final-third entries to 17 and a 57% possession share before the interval. Three corners to one hinted at the pressure, and the crossing volume from wide areas kept Palace’s back line retreating.

The numbers behind 5-0

Across 90 minutes Brighton held 57% possession, completed 516 passes to 384, and finished with 440 accurate passes versus Palace’s 301. Final-third entries read 61-29, and touches in the box ended 28-10 for the hosts. The shot map told the rest: 17 total attempts to 5, with a 9-1 edge in shots on target. Expected goals landed at 1.98 to 0.75, and expected goals on target widened it further to 3.15 to 0.03.

There was variety in how Brighton progressed the ball. Long passes were crisp at 32/52 (62%) compared to Palace’s 11/46 (24%), and crosses, while low in accuracy by nature, still yielded a 5/21 return vs 1/11. Sprints illustrated intensity, with Brighton at 121 to Palace’s 93. On Sofascore’s team view, the average home Sofascore Rating settled at 8.21 against 6.04 for the away side, reflecting both control and end product in a one-sided Premier League contest.

Defending, duels and goalkeeping tell the rest

This wasn’t just attack. Brighton edged overall duels 51% to 49%, split ground duels evenly in raw wins (30 each), and took aerials 13/24 to 11/24. Interceptions were 10-9 and recoveries 44-40 to the hosts, while Palace racked up more clearances (31 to 27), the natural byproduct of defending deep. Tackles won percentage actually favored Palace (50% to 42%), which underlined Brighton’s preference to control zones and second balls rather than chase high-risk tackles.

Goalkeeping rounded out the picture. Bart Verbruggen needed just one save and posted 0.03 goals prevented, a nod to Brighton’s outfield protection. Walter Benítez made five saves but finished at -1.85 goals prevented, hurt by the quality and placement of Brighton’s on-target shots. Palace’s best spell of jeopardy came when Jefferson Lerma and Jean-Philippe Mateta both hit the woodwork in the second half, yet they produced only one shot on target all match and were limited mostly to efforts outside the box (1) or blocked attempts.

MVP: Olivier Boscagli’s complete left-sided clinic

Olivier Boscagli delivered the most rounded performance on the pitch and earned a Sofascore Rating of 8.2. In 81 minutes he completed 62 of 71 passes, hit 6 of 9 long balls, and supplied three key passes, including a clean assist for Brighton’s second goal. He handled both buildup and progression, logging 84 touches and 25 ball carries for 269 meters, with nearly 100 meters of progression. Add six ball recoveries, five clearances, and steady duel work, and you have a defender who influenced every phase.

Boscagli’s timing in possession let Brighton switch angles without stress, and his service from deep fed the front line early, which mattered in a match decided within 10 minutes. This was leadership by decision-making rather than last-ditch defending, and it fit the team’s balance on the night.

Others were close behind. Luka Vušković (7.9) dominated the air and even threatened with three shots. Charalampos Kostoulas (7.7) produced a goal and an assist, while Diego Gómez (7.7) scored and worked tirelessly in transition. Lewis Dunk (7.6) moved the ball with authority at the back, and Yasin Ayari (7.4) capped his smart runs with a goal.