Crystal Palace were three goals down after ten minutes on Sunday, and one of them was the goal of the season so far. Brighton beat their rivals 5-0, their biggest win over Palace since 1956, and Diego Gomez's strike from the halfway line is the one fans will keep replaying.
Four minutes, seven minutes, ten minutes
Jaydee Canvot headed Pascal Gross's free-kick into his own net at the near post in the fourth minute. Three minutes later Olivier Boscagli won the ball from Adam Wharton and Gomez, 23 and Paraguay's midfielder, spotted goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line and went for goal. Benitez sprinted back and dived but the ball went in just under the bar. Opta measured it at 51 metres, the furthest long-range Premier League goal since Wayne Rooney scored from 58 metres for Everton against West Ham in November 2017. Match of the Day pundit Shay Given likened it to David Beckham's goal for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996, and said he did not blame the goalkeeper. Yasin Ayari made it 3-0 after only ten minutes, running onto a Charalampos Kostoulas backheel. No side has scored three Premier League goals that quickly since Newcastle's 6-1 win over Tottenham in April 2023.
Second-half goals, and a Palace return
Kostoulas added a fourth four minutes into the second half, shooting in after Ayari's effort deflected into his path. Jean-Philippe Mateta came on after almost two months out with a hamstring injury and hit the crossbar, and Jefferson Lerma headed against the post, but Brighton scored again in the 84th minute when Jack Hinshelwood converted from close range after Benitez parried Luka Vuskovic's header. It was Brighton's eighth clean sheet in all competitions this season and their fifth Premier League win. They went second for a while before slipping back a place when Arsenal won at Forest.
Palace and the defensive numbers
Palace have now conceded 17 goals in seven league games, the worst record in the division, and they lost 3-2 at Lyon on Thursday having been 2-0 down in the first half. Manager Pierre Sage apologised to supporters and said it was his fault, using the word shame. Captain Wharton said they could not have started any worse. Young defender Honest Ahanor, 18 and on loan from Atalanta, was taken off after 53 minutes on his second Premier League start. Both teams are back in Europe on Thursday, Brighton at Jablonec in the Conference League and Palace at Besiktas in the Europa League.
Match facts: Brighton 5-0 Crystal Palace, Sunday 18 October 2026, Premier League. Brighton: Canvot (own goal, 4th minute), Gomez (seventh minute, from 51 metres), Ayari (10th minute), Kostoulas (four minutes into the second half), Hinshelwood (84th minute). Brighton have scored more league goals than any other side this season.
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