Preview: Crystal Palace vs. Brighton & Hove Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

The Eagles went down 3-0 to Liverpool last weekend, while the high-flying Seagulls progressed in the EFL Cup at the expense of Swansea City.

Match preview

After coming out on the correct end of a 3-0 thriller against 10-man Tottenham Hotspur, the Eagles were quickly brought crashing back down to earth at Anfield, where Liverpool notched up a trio of unanswered goals to temporarily halt Vieira's momentum.

There were no surprises for guessing who notched up the Reds' first on the day - new 100-club member Sadio Mane found the back of the net for the ninth league game in a row against Palace, a new Premier League record - while Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita completed the job in the second half.

Palace had started to build up a head of steam with four points from fixtures with Tottenham and West Ham United before their humbling at Anfield, and a total of five points from their opening five fixtures sees them occupy 14th spot in the rankings before the weekend's fixtures kick off.

However, Vieira's side have navigated their first two home games unbeaten without conceding a goal, and following their early EFL Cup exit at the hands of Watford, the Eagles - unlike most of their top-flight counterparts - have no midweek fatigue to contend with.

Not since the days of the ever-eccentric Ian Holloway have Palace kept three clean sheets in their first three league games of a domestic season, and that mettle will be tested to the extreme against Graham Potter's inspired outfit.

Brighton may not have always garnered the results that their performances deserved last term, but the South Coast side are in dreamland following a stellar start to the campaign, with 12 points from the opening 15 on offer in 2021-22.

After claiming a hugely impressive 2-1 win over Leicester City in their most recent Premier League battle, the Seagulls swooped to sink the Swans in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening, as Aaron Connolly's brace sealed his side's progress into the fourth round.

Only Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have taken more points than Brighton so far this term - with the fourth-placed Seagulls ahead of Manchester City for the time being - but their tally of seven goals scored is by far the fewest in the top six.

Nevertheless, Brighton have only shipped four at the other end of the pitch and have plenty of reasons to be positive ahead of the first M23 derby of the season, especially seeing as they have a 100% success rate on the road this term with wins over Burnley, Brentford and Cardiff City.

The Seagulls head to the capital winless in four against Palace, though, with Roy Hodgson's side claiming a 2-1 win during the last meeting at the Amex in February, but the last two meetings between the sides at Selhurst Park have finished 1-1.

Crystal Palace Premier League form:

Crystal Palace form (all competitions):

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):

Team News

Vieira has confirmed that Jeffrey Schlupp will be in contention to feature on Monday, but long-term victims Nathan Ferguson and Eberechi Eze continue to recover from their injuries.

Odsonne Edouard's quickfire double against Spurs did not earn him a start over Christian Benteke at Anfield, but the former Celtic man will certainly hope to feature from the off here.

Michael Olise was fit enough to come off the bench in last week's defeat at Liverpool, although the 19-year-old is unlikely to force his way into the starting lineup just yet.

Brighton, meanwhile, are sweating over the fitness of midfield duo Yves Bissouma and Enock Mwepu, with the former thought to have a stronger chance of featuring from the first whistle.

Alexis Mac Allister should also be fine to play after a back scare, while Tariq Lamptey got 45 minutes under his belt against Swansea, but Adam Webster is out until after the international break.

Connolly has put himself into contention for a start with his game-winning brace against Swansea, but neither Neal Maupay nor Leandro Trossard are expected to cede their places this week.

Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:

Guaita; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; McArthur, Kouyate, Gallagher; Ayew, Edouard, Zaha

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Duffy; March, Bissouma, Lallana, Cucurella; Trossard, Welbeck; Maupay

We say: Crystal Palace 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

There is no reason for Palace or Brighton to play for a draw in front of a raucous Selhurst Park crowd, especially with compatriots Edouard and Maupay both aiming to keep their golden touches going.

Brighton's remarkable start to the season and perfect away record must be applauded, but we think Vieira's Palace will use their own firepower to rescue a point on derby day.