Diego Gomez scored a sensational goal from the halfway line as Brighton thrashed rivals Crystal Palace 5-0 in a dominant Premier League performance, according to BBC Sport.
Brighton took the lead in the fourth minute when Crystal Palace defender Jaydee Canvot headed Pascal Gross’ free-kick into his own net.
Three minutes later, Gomez produced a moment of brilliance, spotting goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line before striking from the halfway line. Despite Benitez’s desperate attempt to recover, the ball sailed into the net to give Brighton a 2-0 advantage.
Data provider Opta said the goal was scored from 51 metres, making it the longest-range Premier League goal since Wayne Rooney scored from 58 metres for Everton against West Ham in November 2017.
Brighton extended their lead in the 10th minute when Yasin Ayari ran on to Charalampos Kostoulas’ backheel and fired past Benitez to make it 3-0.
Kostoulas added a fourth four minutes into the second half, finishing after Ayari’s effort deflected into his path.
Crystal Palace attempted to respond, with substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta, returning after nearly two months out with a hamstring injury, hitting the crossbar. Jefferson Lerma also headed against the post.
However, Brighton completed the scoring in the 84th minute when Jack Hinshelwood converted from close range after Benitez parried Luka Vuskovic’s header.
The emphatic victory marked Brighton’s biggest win over Crystal Palace since 1956 and continued their impressive start to the season under manager Fabian Hurzeler.
The result temporarily lifted Brighton to second place in the Premier League table before Arsenal’s later victory over Nottingham Forest pushed them down a position.
Gomez’s spectacular strike attracted widespread praise, with former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given comparing it to David Beckham’s famous halfway-line goal for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996.
“It’s an amazing goal,” Given said, praising the quality of the strike.
Former Premier League striker Efan Ekoku also called it “the goal of the season so far” during BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary.
Brighton have been in prolific form, scoring nine goals in four days following their 4-0 victory over Lithuanian side Kauno Zalgiris in the Conference League on Thursday.
The Seagulls have also recorded convincing wins over Aston Villa, reigning champions Arsenal and Coventry City, underlining their attacking strength this season.
For Crystal Palace, however, the defeat exposed serious defensive problems. The five goals conceded left them with 17 goals against in seven Premier League matches, giving them the league’s worst defensive record at that stage.
The result followed another disappointing performance on Thursday, when Palace lost 3-2 to Lyon in the Europa League after falling two goals behind in the first half.
Manager Pierre Sage admitted feeling ashamed of the performance and apologised to the club’s supporters.
“I’m really sorry because we didn’t give them what they deserved,” Sage said. “I apologise because we are not Palace today.”
Palace captain Adam Wharton also admitted that the team’s performance had fallen well below expectations.
“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,” he said, adding that the team needed to address its slow starts.
The defeat increases pressure on Sage, who took charge of Palace in the summer following Oliver Glasner’s departure, as the club looks to recover from a damaging afternoon.
Both teams will return to European action on Thursday, with Brighton travelling to the Czech Republic to face Jablonec in the Conference League, while Crystal Palace visit Turkish side Besiktas in the Europa League.