Brighton dismantled rivals Crystal Palace 5-0 as Diego Gomez scored from the halfway line in a very one-sided M23 derby.
For Palace, it was a case of gone in 600 seconds as Brighton stormed into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes, combining incredible intensity with jaw-dropping quality.
The opener was a nightmare for Jaydee Canvot, whose own goal set the tone for a miserable afternoon for the visitors following a Pascal Gross delivery from the left.
Palace needed to steady themselves. Instead, they completely lost their bearings.
What followed was simply outrageous. Gomez spotted an opportunity from the halfway line and produced a moment of audacious brilliance, catching Palace off guard with a strike that could be replayed for years to come
Before Palace could even catch their breath, Yasin Ayari made it 3-0 inside 10 minutes. Three goals, barely any time to process them and a derby that had threatened to be a contest being completely dominated by this brilliant Brighton side.
Palace needed a reaction after the break, but Brighton had other ideas. The hosts struck again just three minutes into the second half to make it 4-0, with Charalampos Kostoulas getting the goal his performance deserved. A VAR check for handball threatened to spoil the moment, but the goal stood after yet more intelligent work down the flank from Gross.
Jean Philippe-Mateta hit the bar for lacklustre Palace who conceded one final goal before the day was out when substitute Jack Hinshelwood bundled home a late fifth.
Brighton have now taken 16 points from the first seven matches this season and this victory caps a big turnaround for boss Fabian Hurzeler, who was booed off in this fixture last season after Palace won 1-0.
Your Site' Lewis Jones:
There was a time when Hurzeler could barely win over his own supporters. Now he has Brighton dreaming again.
Back in February, Hurzeler was booed off at the Amex after a 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace. The frustration was palpable. Questions were being asked, patience was wearing thin.
Fast forward to this 5-0 demolition of their fiercest rivals and the transformation is remarkable.
This is what happens when a club refuses to panic. Brighton could have pulled the trigger when the noise around Hurzeler was at its loudest. Instead, they trusted their process and back their man.
That faith is now paying dividends.
Brighton have always prided themselves on smart decision-making, from recruitment to managerial appointments.
Hurzeler is the latest example of that philosophy working.
And what better way to underline that progress than by dismantling Palace?
The boos of February feel a long way away. Brighton are going places.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler speaking to Your Site:
"I'm part of this journey and club and therefore you understand the history of the rivalry and meaning of the game. A few months ago [losing to Palace] we were in a different place and I said I'd keep pushing to get another opportunity to beat them, so I'm happy we did it today. It's not a one-man show so I credit my players and my staff. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it."
Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage on why his team are making such slow starts in games:
"It's difficult to summarise as there are lots of negative points in the performance. We started really bad. Completely not normal to behind by three in nine minutes. I prepare the team, I'm responsible. I have a lot of work to do. I have to change this kind of thing. I don't create the conditions for the players to start well. The first work is on me.
"It's in the preparation and the way we give them motivation to start the game in the locker room or the warm-up. We have to analyse that because it's not normal. It's not the first time so we have to change with the players. I have to take decisions about that. I will talk with my staff about that. We have to improve."
Your Site' Lewis Jones:
Crystal Palace have won three trophies in the previous two seasons. On this evidence, they look a million miles away from those glories.
This was Pierre Sage's worst day as Palace boss by some distance. There have been defeats this season where you could at least point to some decent football, a positive spell or an individual performance worth celebrating. At the Amex, there was nothing. No resistance, no response.
Brighton ripped them apart in a 5-0 humiliation that exposed just how far Palace have fallen. The defensive holes were glaring. Replacing Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix was never going to be straightforward but the scale of the problem is becoming impossible to ignore. Palace look vulnerable every time opponents turn up the pressure.
Last weekend, Nottingham Forest missed seven big chances in their defeat to Palace. That was a warning sign, perhaps one that was easy to dismiss with three points in the bag. Brighton offered no such charity. They punished Palace's mistakes ruthlessly.
Sage must find answers quickly. If Palace continue to concede chances at this rate, the pressure on their manager will grow with every passing week. Their recent trophy haul feels a long way away.
Palace midfielder Adam Wharton speaking to Your Site:
"We couldn't have started any worse. Nowhere near good enough from any of us from the start to the end. When you put yourself in that position it's never going to be easy. They're a team in form with good players. We made it very difficult for ourselves. It's nowhere near good enough.
"We've had slow starts in other games, we're not intending to do that. We need to sort it out. It makes it hard to get back into the game. We need to sort it out and fast, otherwise we're going to struggle in future games.
"We were too slow. They were winning the second balls, the duels. We were second to everything. They got momentum and got another two [goals] quickly. When you concede early you need to tighten up but three was a disaster.
"We've got to look at everything to do better. It's terrible. The fans deserve better. This club can't be having a result like this. We need to put it right in the next game."
