Crystal Palace suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat away to rivals Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles conceded three goals inside the chaotic opening ten minutes at the Amex Stadium, setting the tone for a dismal derby performance.

Gomez stunner sets the tone

Brighton’s second goal, scored in the seventh minute by Diego Gomez, will be replayed for years. The 23-year-old midfielder, signed from Inter Miami in January 2025, spotted goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line and launched a shot from the halfway line that sailed into the net from 51 metres out. Former goalkeeper Shay Given was among those watching. "It's an amazing goal," Given said. "Reminiscent of David Beckham [vs Wimbledon]."

Perry Groves was even more emphatic. "Don't worry about goal of the season," he said. "We've just seen it."

The damage was done long before that moment of individual brilliance. The collapse began in the fourth minute when Jaydee Canvot turned the ball into his own net. Yasin Ayari then made it 3-0 in the tenth minute, with Charalampos Kostoulas and Jack Hinshelwood adding second-half goals to complete the rout for Fabian Hurzeler's side, who moved second in the table.

A damaging run of form

For Crystal Palace, the result extends a worrying run. They have now lost their last two matches, including a 3-2 Europa League defeat to Lyon last Thursday, and have taken just one win from their last five outings across all competitions. The heavy loss leaves them 13th in the Premier League with seven points from six games, already 14 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

Defensive fragility has been a major issue, with the team conceding 12 league goals this season. The nature of this defeat, coming so soon after a European setback, raises serious questions ahead of a critical period. Their immediate focus shifts to the Europa League, where they host Besiktas this Thursday, before a Premier League return against Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on Saturday, 25 October. Newcastle, currently 11th, were beaten 2-1 by Palace in the teams' last meeting in April. The full fixtures list shows a demanding schedule that requires a rapid response. Palace will hope to rediscover the form that saw them beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 earlier this month when they face the Magpies.

The report in full is at Daily Mirror Football