Crystal Palace missed a number of chances, drawing 0-0 with arch-rivals Brighton and missing out on a chance to move up to fourth place in the Premier League after a penalty awarded was canceled by VAR.
The frenetic M23 derby got off to a good start at a noisy Selhurst Park, with Jean-Philippe Mateta firing at a good opportunity early on and Ismaila Sarr making a fine save from Brighton goalkeeper Bert Verbruggen.
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Bad Verbruggen denies Ismaila Saar
Between those two chances, Brighton’s Diego Gomez made a smart stop on Dean Henderson, but while Brighton’s attacking threat would continue to diminish, there was one unforgettable shot after 46 minutes.
In fact, it was Palace who had the momentum, especially after half-time. With one move, the hosts made a numerical advance, with Sarr diving into the goal and Daichi Kamata hitting the side netting.
But Brighton thought they had a golden chance to open the scoring when Tim Robinson awarded the Seagulls a penalty after Georginio Rutter, making his full Premier League debut in place of the injured Marc Guehi, went down under a challenge from Jaydee Cambot.
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Watch Brighton overturn penalty with VAR in simulated game against Crystal Palace
Replays showed Rutter had actually initiated contact with the 19-year-old defender, so Robinson was sent to the monitor by VAR Paul Howard and the spot-kick was ruled out.
This incident gave Palace even more confidence, as Kamata hit the side netting from a narrow angle, and substitute Yeremy Pino allowed Verbruggen to make a good save at his near post in the final minute of stoppage time.
However, a draw was the norm in this match, and it became a derby battle in which neither team could win.
Analysis: Canvot shows life can be good after Guehi for Palace
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz at Selhurst Park:
The most recent Deadline Day was a very busy day at Crystal Palace.
A move to Liverpool was blocked because Oliver Glasner was adamant that Crystal Palace could not sell Marc Göch without signing a replacement. Igor Julio’s move from Brighton also failed and he chose West Ham.
But one movement went unnoticed. That’s because Palace appear to have finally signed Gehy’s potential replacement, Jaydee Cambot.
The teenage defender arrived from Toulouse on September 1 and made his first Premier League start against Brighton on Sunday.
Guehi’s injury has given Palace a glimpse of what life will be like without the England international, but if the answer is Kanvot then so be it.
The 19-year-old was excellent throughout, showing confidence and command in Guehi’s absence. He ranks first in Palace’s squad for passing, while also showing an excellent ability to read the game in terms of clearances.
It was a big moment for the youngster, who made the mistake that resulted in Palace’s first-ever winner against AEK Larnaca in Palace’s 1-0 defeat in the Conference League last month.
Cambot was helped by the presence of Tyrick Mitchell next to him, who also put up impressive numbers to earn Player of the Match honors.
And Palace’s second clean sheet shows that Glasner’s progress and vision at the Eagles could outlast Guehi’s expected departure. Their impressive defensive performance isn’t limited to one player.
What did Glasner learn about the palace without Guehi?
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner:
“There’s nothing new. We trust all the players on the team. Jaydee replaced him one-on-one and I thought we played a very good game. The whole team defended really well today.”
“At the end of the day, I think it’s a fair result, a draw. It was a question of who would get the lucky punch, but no one did that. So the result was zero.”
“I’m really happy with the overall effort the team showed. We know the schedule and it’s a good result.”
Hürzeler: “We have to accept VAR’s decision”
Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler:
“Overall I’m happy with the performance. We got another clean sheet. We want to keep winning these games, but sometimes you have to accept a draw.”
“I have mixed feelings.While we had a good performance, we wanted to win.
“There were a lot of small fouls in the first half, like penalties. But I can’t comment on penalties. We’ll have to see.”
“Rutter tried it and attacked inside the box, which is what we want. After VAR, the decision was made not to give the penalty back. We have to accept that.”
