Gómez scores from 51 metres as Brighton thrash Palace 5-0 to go third

Brighton beat Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Amex on Sunday, going 3-0 up inside ten minutes and moving to third in the Premier League on 16 points after seven games.

Three goals in six minutes

Jaydee Canvot put Pascal Gross's free-kick into his own net after four minutes. Three minutes later, Palace's Adam Wharton lost possession cheaply, Olivier Boscagli found Diego Gómez on the halfway line and the Brighton midfielder sent the ball over goalkeeper Walter Benítez from 51 metres. The Guardian reports it is the Premier League's furthest-out goal since Wayne Rooney scored from 58 metres for Everton against West Ham in November 2017.

Yasin Ayari made it 3-0 on ten minutes with a deflected finish after Charalampos Kostoulas set him up. Kostoulas added the fourth in the 49th minute, and substitute Jack Hinshelwood scored on 84 minutes, matching Brighton's record 5-0 win over Palace from 1956 in Division Three South.

Hürzeler's first win over Palace

It was Fabian Hürzeler's first victory over Palace in five meetings. The Brighton coach was the target of "sack him" chants at the Amex in February, after Palace won there. "The last game against Palace made me really grounded, having this criticism. It wasn't easy," he said. "Now we sit here in a completely different mood."

Hürzeler played down the long-range goal. "We don't train shots from 50 metres," he told BBC Sport, adding that the team "can't be satisfied" and must "stay humble". Defender Lewis Dunk, asked whether Brighton are in a title race, said: "That's up to you to do that." He pointed to a Conference League game on Thursday and a league game on Sunday.

What it does to the table

Brighton have scored 23 league goals, four more than City's 19 from the same number of games, and their most at this stage of a top-four-tier season, according to BBC Sport. Only Barcelona have scored more across Europe's big five leagues this term (39). Kostoulas has five goal involvements (three goals, two assists), and only Lamine Yamal has been involved in more among teenagers in those leagues.

Brighton sit five points behind leaders Manchester City (21) and two behind Arsenal (18), who won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest later on Sunday.

Palace in crisis

Palace are 14th with seven points and have conceded 17 goals in seven games, their most at this stage since 1980-81. Coach Pierre Sage started teenager Honest Ahanor and 20-year-old Canvot in defence. "Only one feeling - shame," Sage told BBC Sport. "It's my fault because I am the coach." Asked whether he would be given time to fix the defence, he said: "It's not my decision. I don't know."