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Brighton Host Crystal Palace in M23 Derby Opener
Premier League

Brighton Host Crystal Palace in M23 Derby Opener

45 minutes ago·2 min

Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Crystal Palace to the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the first M23 derby of the 2026/27 Premier League season, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00pm BST.

The Seagulls arrive in strong form, having collected 13 points from their opening six league fixtures. They rounded off the midweek with a commanding 4-0 Conference League victory over Lithuanian side Kauno Zalgiris on Thursday, underlining their confidence heading into the weekend.

Palace's European adventure proved more painful. Pierre Sage's side travelled to France and fell 3-2 to Lyon in the UEFA Europa League, leaving them to regroup before making the trip south. Despite that setback, the Eagles have steadily improved domestically, banking seven points from their previous four Premier League outings.

Seagulls looking to end derby drought

The M23 rivalry stretches back exactly 50 years to a fiery sequence of clashes between Terry Venables' Crystal Palace and Alan Mullery's Brighton. Half a century later, the hostility remains undimmed, particularly with Palace's recent silverware stirring competitive frustration along the south coast.

Brighton sit third in the Premier League table heading into the match, yet they carry a losing streak in this fixture that they are eager to snap. Palace, by contrast, have gone four M23 derbies unbeaten — a run that includes a 1-0 win at the Amex Stadium as recently as February 2026.

Team news

Midfielder Jack Hinshelwood — grandson of Crystal Palace legend Paul Hinshelwood — scored on his return from injury against Kauno Zalgiris and is in contention for his first Premier League start in two months. Defender Pascal Struijk is also expected to be available after the red card he received in Brighton's 2-0 win at Sunderland last Saturday was successfully overturned on appeal.

Palace manager Sage may rotate his squad given the tight turnaround between Thursday's trip to Lyon and this away fixture. Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and goalkeeper Dean Henderson both missed the Europa League match through injury and remain doubts for the derby. The Eagles nonetheless brought 3,000 supporters to Lyon and will travel in similar numbers to the Amex, chasing a second victory there in 2026.

How to watch

In the UK, Sky Sports Premier League carries live coverage, with kick-off at 2:00pm BST. US viewers can stream the match on Peacock from 9:00am ET. Fans in Australia can catch it on Stan Sport, with the action getting under way at 12:00am AEDT on Monday morning.

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