Crystal Palace 0-0 Brighton: Tactical Analysis of M23 Derby Stalemate
The M23 derby between Crystal Palace and Brighton at Selhurst Park on 9 November 2025 ended in a forgettable 0-0 draw that left both sides sharing a point in the Premier League. Despite the lack of goals, we witnessed a tactically intriguing encounter that showcased the defensive resilience of both teams whilst highlighting their creative limitations in the final third.
Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace entered the match sitting ninth in the table with 17 points from ten games, whilst Fabian Hürzeler's Brighton arrived in tenth position with 15 points. The draw means both sides slip one place from where they began the weekend — Palace (17 points) down to 10th, Brighton (16 points) to 11th.
Tactical Analysis
From our analysis of the team sheets, Crystal Palace deployed their favoured 4-4-2 formation with Dean Henderson in goal, protected by a back four of Daniel Muñoz, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Richards, and Tyrick Mitchell. The midfield quartet comprised Jefferson Lerma, Adam Wharton, Ismaïla Sarr, and Daichi Kamada, with Jean-Philippe Mateta leading the line. Palace were notably without defender Marc Guéhi, with Oliver Glasner confirming before kick-off he had suffered a bruised bone in his foot.
Brighton lined up in their characteristic 4-3-3 formation under Hürzeler, with Bart Verbruggen between the sticks. The Seagulls' tactical approach focused heavily on possession-based football, which we observed through their 58.2% possession dominance. Their pressing intensity and quick transitions were evident throughout the match, though they struggled to convert territorial advantage into clear-cut chances.
We noticed that both managers made strategic substitutions to influence the game's flow. Palace introduced Yeremy Pino for Adam Wharton to provide more offensive presence for the remaining 25 minutes, whilst Brighton made a double substitution bringing on Joel Veltman and Charalampos Kostoulas for Georginio Rutter and Carlos Baleba to help maintain defensive order in the closing stages.
Technical Performance
The technical aspect of the match was characterised by intense pressing from both sides, which often disrupted the flow of play. We observed that virtually all of the first-half action came in the opening 10 minutes, with the remainder of the half lacking quality in the final third.
Brighton's goalkeeper Verbruggen produced the match's standout save, as the Palace goalkeeper's heroics were bettered moments later when his opposite number Bart Verbruggen flew across goal to deny Ismaïla Sarr with a fine one-handed save. From our observation, both keepers performed admirably when called upon, though they weren't heavily tested throughout the encounter.
The most controversial moment came when Brighton's Georginio Rutter received a yellow card for diving inside the box in the second half after VAR overturned an initial penalty decision. This incident highlighted the physical intensity of the contest and the referee's willingness to use technology to ensure fair play.
Statistical Analysis
The statistical breakdown reveals a closely contested affair that could have gone either way. Brighton's possession advantage of 58% versus Palace's 42% reflected their patient build-up approach, yet Palace had more shots but fewer on target. Specifically, the hosts registered 11 shots compared to Brighton's 6, though the visitors managed 3 efforts on target against Palace's 2.
The corner count favoured Brighton 8-4, indicating their ability to create set-piece opportunities despite struggling from open play. Both teams committed a similar number of fouls, with Palace earning 10 and Brighton 12, whilst the disciplinary statistics showed Palace receiving 1 card to Brighton's 4, highlighting the visitors' frustration as the match progressed.
Strengths and Weaknesses
**Crystal Palace Strengths:**Key Moments
The match's defining period occurred in the opening ten minutes when both sides came closest to breaking the deadlock. Maxence Lacroix almost turned Mats Wieffer's cross into his own net with a wild swing at a clearance, then Brighton's Diego Gómez brought a good stop out of Dean Henderson.
Brighton's best opportunity came in the final minute of the first half when Adam Wharton dawdled on the ball in midfield and was dispossessed by Gómez. The Paraguay international charged upfield and slipped in Yankuba Minteh to his right, but with options in the box Minteh went for glory and found nothing of the sort, skewing an awful shot wide.
The VAR-reviewed penalty incident proved to be the match's most significant talking point, as Brighton's initial optimism was quickly deflated when the referee correctly identified Rutter's simulation.
Player Ratings
**Crystal Palace:**Overall Summary
From our tactical perspective, neither side truly deserved to win this encounter. This was, in truth, the extent of the difference between them, with neither side deserving more than what they left with. Brighton's possession dominance suggested greater control, yet their inability to convert territorial advantage into quality chances proved costly.
Palace's defensive organisation at home remains impressive, as they have the longest ongoing unbeaten home record in the Premier League, having not lost any of their last 11 league games in front of their fans. However, their attacking output needs improvement to challenge for higher positions.
The lesson for Brighton is clear: possession without penetration yields little reward. Despite their tactical sophistication, they must develop greater ruthlessness in the final third. For Palace, the challenge lies in creating more opportunities whilst maintaining their defensive stability.
Future Outlook
This result maintains both teams' mid-table positions but does little to advance their respective ambitions. Brighton's focus on continental qualification remains within reach, sitting just three points off the top five. Their possession-based approach under Hürzeler shows promise, but clinical finishing must improve.
Palace's impressive home form suggests they can continue to frustrate visiting teams, though their lack of creativity against well-organised defences remains a concern. We expect both managers to address these tactical shortcomings in upcoming fixtures, with Brighton likely to persist with their possession-heavy approach whilst Palace may need to find alternative routes to goal when their counter-attacking game is neutralised.
Looking ahead, both sides face crucial fixtures that could define their seasons. Brighton must translate their tactical improvements into consistent results, whilst Palace need to discover greater attacking fluidity to complement their defensive resilience.