Brighton & Hove Albion are not merely scoring goals at a rate that leaves their Premier League rivals trailing — they are doing so with a flair that is making football fans across the country stop and stare.

A 5-0 demolition of Crystal Palace on Sunday underlined both the quality and the ambition coursing through Fabian Hurzeler's side, and it produced a moment that may define the entire season — not just for Brighton, but for the division as a whole.

The goal that stopped everyone in their tracks

With just seven minutes played at the Amex, Paraguay midfielder Diego Gomez collected the ball near the halfway line, spotted Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez stranded well off his line, and lofted an audacious effort from 51 metres that nestled just beneath the crossbar.

Benitez sprinted back desperately and flung himself into a dive, but the ball was already beyond him. The stadium erupted.

It is the furthest long-range Premier League goal since Wayne Rooney struck from 58 metres for Everton in a 4-0 win over West Ham in November 2017 — a comparison that gives a sense of just how rare and remarkable Gomez's effort was.

Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given, speaking as a pundit on Match of the Day, drew a striking parallel: