February 8 2026

Dunk on his arse again as Sarr fires home the winner against Brighton

Crystal Palace ended their winless run in the Premier League with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over rivals Brighton at the Amex Stadium, thanks to a composed second-half finish from Ismaila Sarr.

The game was low on quality and chances, but the decisive moment came in the 61st minute when debutant Evann Guessand slipped a perfectly weighted pass through to Sarr. The Senegalese winger lifted his finish calmly over Bart Verbruggen for Palace’s first shot on target — and ultimately, the match-winner.

Brighton, struggling for form themselves, offered little in response. Captain Lewis Dunk had two headed chances in the first half, but neither troubled Dean Henderson, who was called into action only once to deny teenager Charalampos Kostoulas late on.

Palace, without Jean-Philippe Mateta through injury, handed a debut to record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen. The striker had a quiet first half but improved after the break, forcing Verbruggen into a smart save as the Eagles sought a second.

This win not only lifts Palace above Brighton into 13th place, but also gives Oliver Glasner some breathing room, with the club now nine points clear of the relegation zone. It also marked a much-needed response after weeks of frustration following their historic FA Cup win earlier in the season.

For Brighton, boos rang out at full-time as pressure mounts on Fabian Hurzeler, whose side have now won just once in 12 Premier League games. The home support turned on their manager, with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” echoing around the Amex.

Palace now move to 32 points and will look to build on this gritty win as they close in on a strong finish to a rollercoaster campaign.

Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Mitchell, Hughes (Kamada, 77), Wharton, Muñoz, Pino (Guessand, 56), Sarr (Johnson, 88), Strand Larsen

Brighton: Verbruggen, De Cuyper (Welbeck, 71), Boscagli, Dunk, Kadioglu, Baleba (Gómez, 71), Groß, Mitoma, Rutter (O'Riley, 82), Howell (Minteh, 71), Kostoulas (Hinshelwood, 82)

2025/26 match reports

2025/26 squad stats

Premier League table

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