By Our Man at the Amex
OLIVER GLASNER finally found his leading man as Ismaila Sarr’s second-half magic earned Crystal Palace their first win of 2026 and left Brighton feeling blue.
In a derby that often threatened to be a damp squib, it was the Senegal star who provided the spark of pure quality to settle the M23 bragging rights.
The Eagles arrived at the Amex with a winless streak hanging over them like a South Coast fog, but they left with their chests out after a 1-0 win that heaps the pressure on Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
While the first half was a cagey affair better suited for a chess board than a football pitch, Ismaila Sarr was always the man most likely.
After flashing a warning shot wide just before the break, he didn’t miss when the big moment arrived in the 61st minute.
The goal was a masterclass in clinical movement.
Debutant Evann Guessand—only on the pitch for five minutes—showed he’s got the vision to match his price tag, sliding a weighted ball through the heart of the Seagulls’ defence.
Sarr didn’t need a second invitation, racing clear and hammering a left-footed strike past Bart Verbruggen to send the away end into delirium.
If Sarr was the hero at one end, Dean Henderson was the guardian at the other. Just minutes after the opener, Brighton thought they’d levelled through Charalampos Kostoulas.
The youngster was clean through, but Henderson stood tall, producing a sprawling “star-man” save with his boot to preserve the lead.
It was a captain’s performance in spirit, if not in armband, from the Palace keeper, who celebrated the final whistle with a fist-pump that suggested he knew exactly how much this meant to the fans.
Palace fans also got their first look at club-record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen.
The big Norwegian was a constant nuisance for Lewis Dunk, and only a world-class save from Verbruggen in stoppage time denied him a debut goal his industry deserved.
For Brighton, it was a day of “what ifs.”
Skipper Lewis Dunk saw a header whistle past the post, and Kaoru Mitoma found himself shackled by a disciplined Palace backline led by the impressive Maxence Lacroix.
As the final whistle blew, the Amex was filled with the sound of boos for the hosts—but for the boys from SE25, the stars are finally aligned.
