Ismaila Sarr’s brace helps Crystal Palace to victory at bitter rivals Brighton

Ismaila Sarr’s magnificent double settled the M23 grudge match as Crystal Palace beat bitter rivals Brighton 3-1 on their own patch.

Sarr struck twice after Trevoh Chalobah scored a controversial opener as the Eagles soared to a first win in seven attempts against their sworn south-coast enemy.

Having failed to win any of their first eight matches this season, Oliver Glasner’s side have now lost just one of their last eight.

It was a sobering Sunday afternoon for Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler on his first experience of the Premier League’s weirdest derby.

But Brighton could count themselves unlucky that Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson was not sent off in the opening moments, while referee Michael Oliver’s part in the first goal also left them aggrieved.

Henderson raced out of his area to challenge Yankuba Minteh with a foot that was far too high but not, as the Brighton forward would have had everyone believe, anywhere near his head.

But he escaped any punishment, and against the run of play Palace went ahead in the 27th minute.

Eberechi Eze relieved the pressure by taking the ball into the Brighton half after Oliver had inadvertently blocked Carlos Baleba from making a tackle.

The Eagles went on to win a corner, and when Brighton failed to get a head on to Will Hughes’ delivery at the near post, Chalobah reacted quickest to crash the ball into the roof of the net.

It was a messy goal which survived VAR checks for both offside and handball before eventually being given.

But there was no doubting Palace’s second, just five minutes later, after Tyrick Mitchell shrugged off Tariq Lamptey as both challenged for a high ball down the left.

Mitchell whipped his cross over Seagulls keeper Bart Verbruggen to present Sarr with a free header at the far post.

Shellshocked Brighton almost let in a third before half-time when Daniel Munoz’s cross found Eze, whose header drifted inches wide.

Lamptey was sacrificed at half-time with Julio Enciso sent on to add some zip to Brighton’s attack, and almost immediately Kaoru Mitoma’s goalbound shot was cleared by Maxence Lacroix before Lewis Dunk’s header was kept out by Henderson.

Moments later Henderson made a superb, diving save to tip Enciso’s curler round his left-hand post.

Palace full-back Munoz had a goal ruled out after Sarr was harshly adjudged to have fouled Pervis Estupinan.

But with eight minutes remaining Sarr put away the third, holding off Dunk before slotting past Verbruggen.

Brighton pulled one back from a corner, with the ball going in off Marc Guehi, but Henderson kept the damage down to one goal with another fine save from Enciso to ensure Palace were laughing all the way back to up south London.