Gomez scores from halfway line as Brighton whip Crystal Palace

Diego Gomez scored a sensational goal from the halfway line as Brighton hammered rivals Crystal Palace according to BBC Sport.

With the Seagulls already 1-0 ahead because of Jaydee Canvot’s fourth-minute headed own goal, Gomez scored one of the goals of the season three minutes later.

Olivier Boscagli won the ball from Adam Wharton and 23-year-old Paraguay midfielder Gomez, spotting away goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line, went for goal.

Benitez sprinted back and desperately dived, but the ball went in just under the crossbar.

Data provider Opta said the goal came from 51 metres out, the furthest long-range Premier League goal since Wayne Rooney scored from 58m in Everton’s 4-0 win over West Ham in November 2017.

Things got even worse for Palace as Yasin Ayari made it 3-0 after only 10 minutes, running on to Charalampos Kostoulas’ backheel and firing past Benitez.

Kostoulas made it 4-0 four minutes into the second half, shooting into the net after Ayari’s effort deflected into his path.

Substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta, back after nearly two months out with a hamstring injury, hit the crossbar for Palace and Jefferson Lerma headed against the post.

But Brighton added a fifth goal in the 84th minute with Jack Hinshelwood converting from close range after Benitez had parried Luka Vuskovic’s header.

It meant Brighton earned their biggest win over Palace since 1956, kept their eighth clean sheet in all competitions of 2026-27 and recorded their fifth Premier League win of a superb campaign.

The result temporarily took them up to second, before they dropped back a place when Arsenal won at Nottingham Forest in Sunday’s later game.

This victory continued a superb start to the season for Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton.

The Seagulls had drawn one and lost three of their past four matches against the Eagles, but this result was wrapped up inside the opening 10 minutes.

In-form midfielder Pascal Gross swung in a free-kick from the left wing and Canvot headed into his own net at the near post to give the hosts a dream start.

Gomez then produced his moment of magic, which left team-mates, supporters and pundits stunned.

“It’s an amazing goal,” said Match of the Day pundit Shay Given, a former Newcastle goalkeeper. “It was reminiscent of David Beckham [for Manchester United versus Wimbledon in 1996].

“I don’t even blame Benitez the goalkeeper. We’re always talking about sweeper goalkeepers and you’ve got to be high up for the through ball and the defence playing a high line. I think his position was fine.

“You’ve just got to take your hat off to Gomez. That is just a brilliant, brilliant goal.”

Meanwhile, former Premier League striker Efan Ekoku, part of the commentary team on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra called the strike “the goal of the season so far”.

Brighton fans were in ecstasy again shortly after with Ayari making it 3-0. It was the earliest a side had scored three goals in a Premier League game since Newcastle in their 6-1 win over Tottenham in April 2023.

Hurzeler’s side have been hugely entertaining this season and second-half goals from Kostoulas and Hinshelwood took the team’s tally to nine goals in four days – this win following on from putting four past Lithuanian side Kauno Zalgiris in the Conference League on Thursday.

Brighton are the top scorers in the Premier League, and this was another hugely impressive result after already beating Aston Villa 4-0, reigning champions Arsenal 3-0 and 5-0 away at Coventry City.

It was also their biggest win over Palace since a 5-0 success on 14 January, 1956. That victory came when both sides were in the old Division Three South.

The five goals conceded mean Palace have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, with 17 goals against from only seven matches.

A poor first half cost them on Thursday when they lost 3-2 in France against Lyon in France in the Europa League having gone 2-0 behind in the first half.

But manager Pierre Sage could not have expected his side to capitulate so tamely in one of the most important matches of the season for their supporters.

It was a tough afternoon for the Palace defence, with 18-year-old central defender Honest Ahanor, on loan from Atalanta, substituted after 53 minutes on his second Premier League start.

One bright point was the return of France striker Mateta, making his first appearance of the campaign since getting injured on the opening weekend in the 2-0 loss at Everton.

Captain Adam Wharton summed up the feelings in the Palace camp when he said: “We couldn’t have started any worse. Nowhere near good enough from every single one of us, from start to the end of the game.

“We’ve had a couple of slow starts and we’re not intentionally doing that and we have to sort it out.”

Sage said he felt “shame” at the result and apologised to the supporters. “I’m really sorry because we didn’t give them what they deserved. I apologise because we are not Palace today.

“It’s my fault because I am the coach. I gave the motivation. I prepare the situations. We played so bad it’s my fault.”

Both Brighton and Palace are back in European action on Thursday. Brighton are in the Czech Republic against Jablonec in the Conference League, while the Eagles will be looking to quickly move on from this dreadful display, but face a tough-looking trip to Turkey to take on Besiktas in the Europa League.

Sage only came to the Eagles in the summer, replacing the departing Oliver Glasner, but will be facing huge pressure if Palace cannot quickly improve on a woeful day for the club and its fans.