Crystal Palace left Brighton with feathers ruffled in a fiercely contested Matchweek 31 clash that ended 2-1 in the Eagles’ favor. Despite Brighton’s territorial dominance and creative passing, it was Palace who struck with ruthless efficiency, scoring from just 0.3 expected goals (xG) to snatch all three points.
Match Overview and Stats Breakdown
This game was a tale of two stories: Brighton’s build-up mastery versus Palace’s execution in key moments. Brighton registered 10 shots to Palace’s 8, controlled 63% possession, and racked up an xG of 1.46. But the Seagulls could only find the net once — a first-half finish by Danny Welbeck (xG 0.56).
Palace, on the other hand, made their limited chances count. Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring within two minutes with a strike from a tight angle (xG 0.11), and Daniel Muñoz added a second early in the second half with a deflected effort (xG 0.04). Their total xG of just 0.28 underscores just how efficient they were in front of goal.
Match Momentum

Brighton dominated most of the attacking phases — especially after Welbeck’s equalizer. But despite their steady climb in xG through the second half, Palace’s low but early spikes on the momentum chart proved to be decisive. The Eagles scored both of their goals before Brighton could truly flex their attacking muscle, and then held firm.
Shot Map and Shot-to-Goal Analysis


Brighton’s shot locations tell a frustrating story. Their best chance came from close range, but they had five shots off target and two blocked. From the goal maps, Brighton’s attack relied on multiple efforts from the left half-space and the top of the box, but finishing lacked the cutting edge.


Meanwhile, Palace made just eight attempts, but put four on target, with two resulting in goals. Palace were sharp – both goals came from the right side of the six-yard box and the penalty spot area, converting low-probability shots with high reward.
In-Possession Styles: A Passing Contrast

Brighton’s pass map highlighted their hallmark positional play. Lewis Dunk anchored the back line, feeding midfield duo Baleba and Gómez, with strong links to Estupiñán and Mitoma on the left. This structure pushed them into Palace’s half consistently — they reached the opponent’s half 62 times and box 11 times.

Palace’s shape was less expansive but effective. Marc Guéhi and Lacroix connected well through Wharton and Kamada in central midfield, while Eze floated into pockets behind the striker. Despite fewer touches in the opposition half (33) and box (14), their attacking actions were more decisive.
Final Whistle
This was a classic smash-and-grab from Palace — Brighton had the ball, the territory, and the shot volume, but Palace had the only stat that matters: the win. For Brighton, it’s back to the drawing board on how to turn control into conversion. For Palace, it’s a confidence-boosting result with a clinical touch that could turn the tide heading into the final stretch of the season.