Three Goals in 10 Minutes Destroys Palace as Gómez Hits From 51 Metres
Brighton & Hove Albion dismantled Crystal Palace with a three-goal opening burst inside the first 10 minutes at the American Express Stadium on October 18, 2026. Diego Gómez produced the match’s defining tactical highlight from inside his own half, executing a 51-metre strike that caught the opposition defensive structure unprepared.
Diego Gómez Hits From 51 Metres as Brighton Blitz Crystal Palace
Brighton took an early lead when a free-kick from Pascal Groß deflected off Jaydee Canvot into the net. Crystal Palace failed to reorganize their shape before Gómez doubled the advantage moments later, spotting the back line dropped deep and launching a precise 51-metre effort over the goalkeeper from inside his own half.
Brighton
clubYasin Ayari added a third goal on 10 minutes, capitalizing on Crystal Palace’s structural collapse in transition to complete the scoring flurry. The rapid early lead forced the visitors into a compact mid-block for the remainder of the match to avoid further defensive exposure.
The three-goal opening performance elevated Brighton to 32 goals scored across all competitions during the 2026/27 campaign. That overall goal output leaves the club trailing only Bayern Munich and Barcelona across Europe’s top flight divisions.
