The Eagles saw a truly gritty rivalry play out in Sunday’s clash of rivals; in a game defined by ugliness, the fixture saw several scrappy clashes, a controversial penalty, and a red card for Brighton captain Lewis Dunk. Fans were left with plenty of talking points.
The game saw a frustratingly low level of attacking threat. One shot on target was all the Eagles could muster against the Seagulls and – just to amplify Palace’s creative woes – that lone shot on goal was a converted penalty.
In many ways, the Eagles were fortunate to hold onto a point against their south coast fiends. Graham Potter’s Brighton dominated possession at 65.6%, whilst the Eagles faced a staggering twenty shots. The Eagles showed formidable defensive solidity however, reducing Brighton’s efforts down to only three shots on target.
Jairo Riedewald made a rare start, putting in a commendable display that exhibited his nimbleness, strong ball control and passing abilities. Hodgson’s rare faith in the young Dutchman was seemingly rewarded with a well-rounded overall midfield display.
Nonetheless, Palace’s ability to defend their lead until the 90th minute left many wondering as to whether simply defending a 1-0 lead was the most tactically astute choice by Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson.
Evidently, fans were unrelenting and quick to have their say on Hodgson’s side and the clash as a whole…
Twitter: Steve Parish doesn’t want us to progress any higher than 14th. The best player we’ve ever had at palace is being managed by Roy Hodgson
(@NicksView92)
Twitter: Roy Hodgson is more worried about what teams could do to us rather than what we can do to them. (@UpperTierSteve)
Twitter: Hodgson himself pre-game called that the best #cpfc squad he’s had to work with – yet has demonstrated that he’s in… https://t.co/ef4TBoKYzH (@Hambo1980)
Twitter: We must be the easiest team to set up against. (@UpperTierSteve)
If social media reactions are anything to go by, the debate surrounding Palace’s tactical approach won’t go away any time soon.
