You might think of it as a cliché, but some games really do seem to end in a draw and Brighton vs Crystal Palace falls into that category for me. Clashes between rivals often devolve into subdued confrontations as both teams fight for honor, and this derby is no exception. Four of the last six meetings between these teams have ended in a 1-1 draw, and that trend could continue here. The couple also looks well-matched now. Brighton have the stronger team on paper and the bonus of home advantage, but they have hit a difficult patch at an inopportune time with sentiment running high for Palace following their draw against Manchester City last weekend.

Brighton were forced to draw with struggling Southampton and Leicester – they squandered a two-goal lead against the Foxes in the final 10 minutes and the score was 2-2 – and were also beaten 3-1 by Fulham. While Brighton have lagged somewhat, Palace have regained their footing by beating Ipswich and drawing level with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Manchester City in their last four games. Four of the Seagulls’ seven Premier League home games have ended in a draw, while the Eagles have drawn 4 of their last 6 away games, providing further incentive for this game to achieve the same result.