Brighton vs Crystal Palace: Premier League preview
Reviewed by Elison · Sun 18 Oct 2026Premier League
Brighton
Crystal Palace
Sunday 18 October 2026 · 15:00
Read our prediction →Read the post-match analysisTrack Record
Brighton host Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon in a Premier League match that sets one of the division's in-form sides against visitors who arrive with a far patchier recent record. The hosts come in third in the table; Palace sit thirteenth. Each side played once in the days before this match, Brighton at home in the UEFA Conference League and Crystal Palace away in the UEFA Europa League, leaving both with three days of rest coming in.
Form guide
Brighton’s form over their last five games has been exceptional. Their most recent outing was a 4-0 home win over Kauno Žalgiris in the UEFA Conference League on 15 October. Five days before that they won 2-0 away at Sunderland in the Premier League, and 21 days before that game they beat Arsenal 3-0 at home in the league. Their fourth and fifth most recent results were a 3-2 away win over Manchester United in the League Cup and a 5-0 away win at Coventry in the Premier League. That is five wins from five, across all competitions, with 17 goals scored and only two conceded. Their two home games in that run both ended in clean sheets, with seven goals scored and none conceded. In the three Premier League games among their last five, they won all three and kept three clean sheets, scoring ten goals.
Crystal Palace’s recent form is more mixed. Their most recent result was a 2-3 defeat away at Lyon in the UEFA Europa League on 15 October. Four days before that they beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 at home in the Premier League. Their third most recent game, played 21 days before the Forest match, was a 0-0 draw away at Leeds in the Premier League. Before that they beat Lech Poznan 4-0 at home in the UEFA Europa League, and their fifth most recent result was a 2-3 home defeat to Ipswich in the Premier League. Across all five games, Palace have two wins, one draw and two defeats, scoring 11 and conceding seven. Their two away games in those five brought no wins, one draw and one defeat, with two goals scored and three conceded, and they failed to score in one of those two away outings.
Head to head
The recent head-to-head record favours Crystal Palace. The most recent meeting was on 8 February 2026, when Brighton hosted Palace and lost 0-1. Before that, on 9 November 2025, Crystal Palace hosted Brighton and the game ended 0-0. On 5 April 2025, Crystal Palace hosted Brighton and won 2-1. On 15 December 2024, Brighton hosted Crystal Palace and lost 1-3. The only Brighton win in the last five came on 3 February 2024, when they hosted Palace and won 4-1. In total across those five meetings, Crystal Palace have won three, Brighton one, with one draw. Both teams scored in three of the five meetings, and the five games produced 13 goals in total.
Team news
Brighton are without several players. Azeez misses out with an abdominal strain, Ferguson is ruled out with an ankle injury, Minteh is ruled out through injury, Mitoma misses out with a hamstring injury, Tzimas is ruled out with a knee injury, Wieffer is ruled out with a knee injury, and Yohanna misses out through injury. Struijk is doubtful.
Crystal Palace also have a number of concerns. Disasi is suspended following a red card, and Riad is ruled out with a knee injury. Chilwell is doubtful with an injury, Henderson is a doubt with a foot injury, Mateta is doubtful with a hamstring injury, and Tomiyasu is doubtful with a calf injury.
What to watch
Brighton arrive in third place in the Premier League with 13 points from six games, averaging 3.00 goals scored per game and 0.83 conceded. At home in the league this season they have won two and drawn one, scoring eight and conceding just one at an average of 0.33 per game. Their average xG across their last four matches stands at 2.39, with an average xG against of 0.93, which reflects a side creating consistently and limiting opposition chances.
Crystal Palace are thirteenth with seven points from six league games, conceding 2.00 per game on average. At home in the league they have won one, drawn none and lost two this season, conceding at an average of 2.67 per game. Away, their average is 1.00 goals scored and 1.33 conceded per game. Their average xG against of 2.11 across their last four matches points to a side that has been regularly exposed defensively.
With both clubs having played on Thursday — Brighton at home, Palace away — each side arrives on three days’ rest. Brighton’s absences are significant in number, though the depth of their attacking output in recent weeks suggests they have covered well in that department. For Palace, the doubt over Mateta — his only appearance this season came as a start — along with the absences of Disasi through suspension and Riad through injury, and further doubts over Chilwell, Henderson and Tomiyasu, could test their squad considerably. Disasi has started five of six games across all competitions this season, and Henderson has started all three of his appearances.
The head-to-head record gives Crystal Palace reason for confidence in this fixture — they have won three of the last five meetings — but Brighton’s current form and their record at home this season make them the clear favourites, with the bookmakers putting their chances of a home win at 63%. A high-scoring match looks plausible: the bookmakers put the chance of over 2.5 goals at 61% and both teams scoring at 56%.
Closing thoughts
Sunday’s afternoon kick-off sets a Brighton side in full flight against Crystal Palace visitors who will need to produce a performance well above their recent away showings to take anything from this one. The head-to-head history provides Palace with a talking point, but the weight of current form, league position and availability all point firmly in Brighton’s direction.
