Report: Butland saves penalty as Brighton snatch late draw

Summary

• Vieira makes one change from the Millwall victory, with Edouard replacing Mateta up front.

• Butland saves well after Cucurella plays Trossard in behind.

• Hughes is adjudged to have fouled Veltman, and VAR awards a penalty.

• Butland saves with his feet, but Maupay scores from the resultant corner.

• VAR intervenes once again, after Maupay fouled Butland to bundle the ball home.

• HT: Brighton 0-0 Palace

• Moder’s volley clips the crossbar on its way over the top, before Butland pushes his next effort away.

• Schlupp turns on the byline and sets up Gallagher to volley in Palace’s opener.

• Maupay's low cross deflects in off Andersen to give Brighton a late equaliser.

• FT: Brighton 1-1 Palace

For the second time in seven days it was a hostile atmosphere that met Palace as they emerged into a chilly south coast evening, punctuated only by a wall of noise from the travelling fans away to one side.

Both sides have looked comfortable on the ball this season, and in the early periods it showed. Brighton were the more coherent side early on, but Palace’s presence on the counter-attack meant there was no chance to relax.

Dominating the possession, the hosts were the first to breach two tightly packed defensive lines. Slipped in by Marc Cucurella, Leandro Trossard raced in on goal; Jack Butland stood tall to block his close-range effort and keep the scores level.

Brighton were buoyed, and set about peppering the Palace area with cross after cross, but nothing came close to troubling the Eagles’ back-four.

Then, not long before half-time, the game exploded into life. As the two sets of players prepared to restart play after what seemed another innocuous delivery, the referee paused the game – the Video Assistant Referee had highlighted an incident in the penalty area.

After a lengthy wait, Robert Jones was instructed to have a second look; several replays encouraged him that Will Hughes had fouled Joel Veltman, and a penalty was awarded.

Pascal Gross stepped up to take the spot kick in front of the Palace fans, only to see his tame effort blocked by the legs of Butland. The visitors had survived – but the danger wasn’t over yet.

The ball was nodded down from the resulting corner, and Neal Maupay bundled home. The Amex erupted as Vieira and co protested – Butland had two hands on the ball before the Brighton man could make contact. After another VAR review, the goal was chalked off.

Perhaps fortunate to go in level at the break, Palace came out far brighter in the second-half. Michael Olise, who had shown flashes of brilliance already, broke forwards well and found Conor Gallagher with a sumptuous backheel; the midfielder tried to pick out Odsonne Edouard in the area, but the defender did just enough to smuggle the ball away.

At the other end, Jakub Moder was by far Brighton’s biggest threat. His first effort clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over the top, and just moments later he forced a smart save from Butland at close-range.

With half-an-hour to play, Palace struck. Picking up on a deflected cross, Jeff Schlupp seemed to have nowhere to go as he approached the byline with the ball still bouncing. Taking one touch to bring it down, he flicked round the corner to find Gallagher eight yards out; the England man steadied himself before volleying into the corner.

Now the onus was on Brighton to respond, and they poured forwards in numbers. With just five minutes remaining, they got their reward.

Floating into space on the right, Neal Maupay jinked past Joel Ward and smashed a ball across the face of goal, which Joachim Andersen inadvertently flick into his own net. The hosts were level, and it was anyone’s game.

With four minutes of time added on, there was a chance for Brighton to complete the turnaround through Danny Welbeck, as the substitute stooped to guide his header inches over the crossbar.

Disappointingly for Palace, who had the lead so late on, it finished all square - one goal apiece, as at Selhurst Park in September.

Brighton: Sanchez (GK), Cucurella, Webster, Maupay, Mac Allister, Trossard, Gross (March, 72), Lallana (Lamptey, 55), Moder, Burn, Veltman (Welbeck, 72).

Subs not used: Scherpen, Alzate, Caicedo, Roberts, Leonard, Ferguson.

Palace: Butland (GK), Ward, Guehi, Andersen, Mitchell, Hughes, Gallagher, Schlupp, Olise (Benteke, 80), Edouard (Mateta, 65), Eze (Milivojevic, 65).

Subs not used: Guaita (GK), Clyne, Kelly, Ferguson, Riedewald, Rak-Sakyi.