Police were out in force in Norwood on Monday evening (September 27) ahead of the Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Brighton.
Large numbers of mounted police and riot vans were seen in the area surrounding the CPFC stadium for the clash, considered a derby sometimes referred to as the "A23" or "M23" derby.
Brighton could go top of the Premier League with a win over their south London rivals, while Palace, managed by former Arsenal legend Patrick Viera, sat in 15th ahead of kick off.
Palace forward Odsonne Edouard was handed a full debut for the visit of rivals Brighton while captain Luka Milivojevic was included in the starting XI for the first time this season.
COME ON YOU PALACE#CPFC | #CRYBHA
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) September 27, 2021
Edouard, who scored twice off the bench against Tottenham on his first appearance for the Eagles, replaced Christian Benteke, who dropped to the bench alongside Cheikhou Kouyate with the Senegal midfielder making way for Milivojevic in the only other change from the recent loss at Liverpool.
Brighton were dealt a blow with Yves Bissouma absent due to the knee injury sustained in their 2-1 win over Leicester last time out.
Pascal Gross replaced him in midfield while Dan Burn returned to slot into a three-man defence which allowed Joel Veltman to return to wing-back with Solly March named among the substitutes.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here