BRIGHTON BOLSTERED THEIR bid to qualify for Europe with a 1-0 win of their Premier League derby towards Crystal Palace, whereas Brentford pushed Southampton deeper into relegation bother on Wednesday.
Roberto De Zerbi’s facet earned their first victory in eight league conferences with bitter rivals Palace due to Solly March’s aim on the rain-soaked Amex Stadium.
Seventh-placed Brighton moved stage on factors with sixth-placed Liverpool, with the Seagulls holding a sport in hand.
Because it stands, sixth place will assure qualification for subsequent season’s European Convention League, though that may drop to seventh if Manchester Metropolis or Manchester United win the FA Cup.
It’s shaping as much as be a memorable season for Brighton, who host fourth-tier Grimsby within the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
In distinction, their outdated enemies Palace noticed their winless streak attain 12 video games in all competitions as they await their first victory in 2023.
Patrick Vieira’s workforce stay three factors away from the relegation zone.
Palace had did not have a shot on course in every of their previous three Premier League video games, the primary occasion of that occuring because the statistic was first recorded in 2003-04.
Palace’s dismal streak lastly ended early within the first half as Wilfried Zaha’s shot pressured Jason Steele to avoid wasting.
Vieira was pressured at hand teenage goalkeeper Joseph Whitworth his skilled debut after Vicente Guaita sustained a late harm.
At 19 years and 15 days, Whitworth was the youngest keeper to look within the Premier League since 18-year-old Ben Alnwick in 2005 for Sunderland towards Tottenham.
However there was no fairytale for youth academy graduate Whitworth, a boyhood Palace fan, as his weak tried save allowed March’s low strike to squirm into the online within the fifteenth minute.
March’s aim got here simply 24 hours after De Zerbi stated the midfielder deserves a spot within the England squad, with Gareth Southgate naming his choice on Thursday for the Euro 2024 qualifiers towards Italy and Ukraine.
There was a five-minute delay within the second half when an influence failure plunged the stadium into darkness, however even that break couldn’t rattle Brighton because the high-flying Seagulls continued their ascent.
Eire worldwide Evan Ferguson began on the bench, and was launched for the ultimate 12 minutes as an alternative to Danny Welbeck.
Simply throughout the south coast at St Mary’s, backside of the desk Southampton slumped to a 2-0 defeat towards Brentford, who sit one place behind Brighton and have their very own European ambitions.
Brentford misplaced for the primary time in 13 Premier League matches towards Everton final weekend.
However they bounced again as Ivan Toney struck within the thirty second minute along with his sixteenth league aim this time period, this one a tap-in after Christian Norgaard headed Bryan Mbeumo’s nook throughout the six-yard field.
Yoane Wissa grabbed Brentford’s second aim deep into stoppage time with a scientific end from the sting of the realm.
Southampton are two factors from security and have performed a sport greater than all of the groups simply above them within the battle for survival.
Gavin Bazunu performed all 90 minutes for Southampton.
