Brighton defeated Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, October 18, scoring three times in the opening 10 minutes. The victory left Brighton third in the Premier League with 16 points from seven matches.

Midfielder Diego Gomez scored from 51 metres as Brighton secured their first win over Palace in five attempts under head coach Fabian Hurzeler. Charalampos Kostoulas and Jack Hinshelwood added second-half goals after the hosts had established a 3-0 lead.

Three goals in the opening 10 minutes

The opening goal came in the fourth minute when Palace defender Jaydee Canvot headed into his own net. Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross had delivered a free-kick from the left.

Three minutes later, Gomez spotted Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line and shot from around halfway. Benitez ran back towards his goal but could not prevent the ball going in beneath the crossbar.

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Gomez’s effort was the longest-range Premier League goal since November 2017. Wayne Rooney scored from 58 metres for Everton against West Ham in that match.

Brighton made it 3-0 in the 10th minute through Yasin Ayari. Forward Kostoulas set him up with a backheel, and Ayari’s shot went in after deflecting off Canvot.

Kostoulas and Hinshelwood complete the scoring

Kostoulas scored Brighton’s fourth in the 49th minute, finishing after Ayari’s initial effort was blocked. Palace then came close to scoring twice through substitutes.

Jean-Philippe Mateta struck the crossbar in the 63rd minute. Jefferson Lerma later headed against a post following a corner, leaving the visitors without a goal.

Hinshelwood completed the scoring in the 84th minute. He finished after Benitez stopped a header from Luka Vuskovic, sealing Brighton’s fourth successive league victory.

Brighton lead the league in goals

Brighton have scored 23 league goals in seven matches, according to the BBC. That is four more than Manchester City and more than twice Arsenal’s total of 11.

Hurzeler said his team needed to remain humble because the season would be long. He also said there was still room for individual improvement despite the result.

Brighton’s next five matches are all away from home. The run includes league visits to Liverpool and Manchester City, plus European fixtures against Jablonec and Getafe.