Brighton and Hove Albion produced a stunning display to dismantle Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, racing into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes in one of the most emphatic M23 derby performances in recent memory.

Three goals in 10 minutes stun Palace

The rout began in the 4th minute when Jaydee Canvot turned a Pascal Gross delivery into his own net, setting the tone for a miserable afternoon for the visitors. Three minutes later, Diego Gómez produced the moment of the match — and perhaps the season — latching onto the ball 50 yards from goal with goalkeeper Benitez off his line and connecting with a strike that left everyone inside the stadium breathless.

Palace had no time to recover. Yasin Ayari capitalised on a move carved out by Gómez and Charalampos Kostoulas to fire home a third in the 10th minute, completing a devastating opening spell that left the visitors utterly shell-shocked.

Brighton's dominance continues after the break

Crystal Palace offered little after half-time and Brighton showed no mercy. Kostoulas added a fourth in the 49th minute, finishing off another spell of intelligent work down the flank from Gross — a goal that survived a VAR handball check before being confirmed. Jean-Philippe Mateta struck the bar for Palace in one of their rare moments of threat, but the visitors never truly tested Brighton's defence.

Substitute Jack Hinshelwood completed the scoring in the 84th minute, bundling home to make it 5-0 and put the seal on a commanding afternoon for Fabian Hurzeler's side.

Hurzeler's transformation vindicated

The result takes Brighton to 16 points from seven Premier League matches this season — a remarkable turnaround for Hurzeler, who was booed off at the Amex back in February after a 1-0 home defeat to this same Crystal Palace side. The noise around his position grew loud at that point, but Brighton chose to back their manager rather than act in haste.

That patience has now been richly rewarded. Sunday's demolition of their fiercest rivals stands as a statement of intent — from a club that prides itself on smart decision-making and a manager who has repaid the faith placed in him in emphatic fashion.