Boos at the Amex as Brighton Lose Again and Pressure Builds on Hürzeler

Brighton supporters appeared to turn on Fabian Hürzeler as the Seagulls slipped to a damaging 1–0 defeat against rivals Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium.

Ismaïla Sarr struck on the hour mark after Evan Guessand slipped the winger clean through on goal, leaving Brighton chasing the game and ultimately exposing growing frustration both on and off the pitch.

Despite introducing three attacking substitutes with 20 minutes remaining, Albion failed to adapt and went out with little resistance, extending their winless league run to five matches. Palace, meanwhile, were content to retain possession late on, seeing out their first victory in two months with relative comfort as Brighton struggled to muster any real urgency in search of an equaliser.

As the closing stages approached, boos began to echo around the stadium and hundreds of home supporters headed for the exits. Those who remained until the final whistle made their feelings clear, directing chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" towards Hürzeler, who immediately headed down the tunnel at full-time.

The 32-year-old had raised eyebrows before kick-off with an unexpected starting XI, handing youngster Harry Howell a start ahead of Yankuba Minteh and Diego Gómez. Charalampos Kostoulas was also given his second Premier League start, leading the line in place of the experienced Danny Welbeck.

While many fans were intrigued by the German's selection choices, Brighton began brightly and looked the stronger side during the opening 30 minutes. Just three minutes in, Howell switched play intelligently to Georginio Rutter, who glided past his marker before delivering a low cross that resulted in a corner, lifting the already vocal Amex crowd.

Palace scrambled clear from the resulting set-piece, but Brighton's early dominance gave the impression that the contest might be more straightforward than expected. The visitors also contributed to their own discomfort, repeatedly leaving space in behind during the opening quarter-hour for Brighton's forwards to exploit.

However, the hosts failed to capitalise and their early control soon gave way to complacency. Sloppy passing and slow decision-making allowed Palace to settle, with the Eagles growing in confidence through a direct approach built on long balls and throw-ins.

On the verge of half-time, Palace came close to taking the lead when Sarr dragged his effort wide after pouncing on a loose pass from Carlos Baleba in midfield.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Palace continuing to look the more threatening side. Brighton repeatedly saw promising attacks break down through poor touches or misplaced passes, leaving Dean Henderson largely untroubled as the Seagulls struggled to penetrate the Palace penalty area.

With chances at a premium, Palace made theirs count. Guessand, introduced just five minutes earlier, burst down the right flank, drawing Brighton's defenders towards him before squaring the ball perfectly for Sarr. The winger made no mistake, hammering his finish over Bart Verbruggen and into the net to break the deadlock.

Brighton attempted an immediate response, with Kostoulas forcing an excellent save from Henderson after a powerful right-footed strike from the left. For a brief spell, the contest threatened to open up, with three points crucial for both sides at this stage of the season.

Instead, Hürzeler's triple attacking substitution disrupted Brighton's structure further. The hosts appeared to operate in a confused back three, with defenders maintaining wide positions rather than narrowing, leaving no recognised left-back and affording Sarr dangerous amounts of space on the counter.

With little cohesion and a reliance on individual pressing rather than structured build-up, Brighton struggled to move the ball effectively. Palace exploited the disorganisation, repeatedly breaking forward against a side growing increasingly frustrated.

The later introductions of Jack Hinshelwood and Matt O'Riley did little to restore balance. Despite fielding six attacking players, Brighton lacked clarity in the final third. It was particularly telling that captain Lewis Dunk was often the furthest man forward in the final few minutes, chasing Palace defenders while attacking options went unused.

Once again, the home supporters voiced their displeasure at Hürzeler's in-game management, and while emotions ran high on the night, the pressure is undeniably mounting. Whether chairman Tony Bloom and the club's hierarchy choose to act remains to be seen.

Brighton now face a challenging run, travelling to Aston Villa on Wednesday before heading to Merseyside to face Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round.