Staff Reporter.
Brighton players and Crystal Palace fans goaded each other near the tunnel following a dramatic and fiery end to their Premier League draw at Selhurst Park.
Seagulls striker Neal Maupay scored a 95th-minute equaliser, cancelling out Wilfried Zaha’s penalty, before being involved in a heated confrontation with Zaha as the game restarted.
Both sets of players then got in an argument as the final whistle went.
Afterwards, Brighton players heading down the tunnel had to run a gauntlet of home supporters, with a group of fans taunting the visitors – and getting the same back from some Albion players.
Brighton supporters broke through the advertising hoardings to celebrate their equaliser and a blue flare was thrown onto the pitch.
“With the goal going in at that time there’s emotion and passion, which you’d expect,” said Seagulls manager Graham Potter, who hung back as the exchanges took place before heading down the tunnel. “There wasn’t a massive amount of security there and it’s a little bit intimidating. Everyone is OK.”
Maupay, who celebrated by cupping his ears in front of the Palace fans, clashed with Zaha on the halfway line as Palace were ready to take the kick-off.
“Football is nothing without fans and some involvement with players,” said Maupay. “The atmosphere was really tough and when I scored, I looked at Zaha and smiled at him because when he scored his penalty he celebrated and he gave some to our fans.
“I won’t say what he said and what I said but you know how it is on the pitch with players sometimes. You give banter on the pitch sometimes and it was the perfect time to give him something.”
The game itself was exciting enough before the action in the stands.
With seconds left on the clock, Palace keeper Vicente Guaita passed the ball straight to Joel Veltman on the halfway line.
Veltman hit a long ball into the path of Maupay, who lobbed Guaita from the edge of the box.
Zaha had looked set to be the hero when he scored a penalty – his eighth goal against Albion – at the end of the first half after Leandro Trossard barged over Conor Gallagher.
Maupay’s equaliser was not enough to send Brighton top of the table at the end of a day for the first time in their 120-year history, which a win would have done.
Palace are a team whose style of play has been transformed under Patrick Vieira this season and will be hugely frustrated by the finale, having missed chances to seal the win.