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European Tour

## Our Senegalese Sarr

> Ismaïla Sarr became the club’s third signing of the 2024/25 summer transfer window after joining on a five-year deal from Olympique de Marseille.

The 26-year-old attacker possesses plenty of experience of English football, having spent four years at Watford – recording 34 goals and 22 assists in 131 games – prior to joining Marseille, whom he helped reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League last season.

Sarr's career began in French football with Metz, before moving to Rennes and leading the club into Europe, as well as winning their first Coupe de France in almost half a century.

At international level, he has been a mainstay of the Senegal national side, earning 64 caps, scoring 13 goals and winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021.

His career has also been defined by his eye for the spectacular, having won Goal of the Season awards in both the Football League and the Europa League.

Sarr was ever-present in every Premier League matchday squad in his first season at the club, playing in all 38 games, while also featuring in a further nine cup games. He scored 11 goals across all competitions, with eight additional assists - including a stunning effort against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and a brace against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final.

2022/23, Watford (v West Bromwich Albion)

EFL Goal of the Season

Watford, 2020/21

Player of the Season

Players' Player of the Season

2018/19, Rennes (v Jablonec)

UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season

December 2024

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

Sarr

Instagram

Appearances

Goals

Match Action: Brighton 0-1 Crystal Palace

Strand Larsen presents Sarr with Premier League Man of the Match

Ismaïla Sarr Returns From AFCON

Pre-match Press Conference | RC Strasbourg (A)

Extended Highlights: Crystal Palace 3-1 AZ Alkmaar | Palace TV+

The Full 90: Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar | Palace TV+

Sarr wins October's Goal of the Month

Match Highlights: Crystal Palace 3-1 AZ Alkmaar

Goal of the month contenders | October 2025

Extended Highlights: Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace

Extended Highlights: Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool | Palace TV+

The Full 90: Crystal Palace v Liverpool | Palace TV+

Match Highlights: Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool

Goal of the month contenders | August 2025

Goals Inside Box

Goals Outside Box

Right Foot

Left Foot

Shots

Shots on target

Hit woodwork

Penalties taken

Penalties scored

Touches

Touches in opposition box

Aerial duels

Aerial duels won

Interceptions

Blocks

Recoveries

Tackles won

Duels won

Clearances

Minutes

Attempted passes

Successful passes

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Red cards

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Fouls Conceded

Season

Games

### **Summary:**

- Club record signing Strand Larsen starts for Palace for debut.
- Fellow debutant Guessand begins on the bench, where Kamada returns to squad.
- **5:** Frenetic start sees Strand Larsen threaten with physicality early on.
- **19:** Dunk heads big opportunity wide for the hosts.
- **31:** Lacroix and Richards make important intervention to deny Kostoulas.
- **43:** Sarr shoots wide at the near post after slide-rule pass from Muñoz.
- **45:** A half of plenty of threat, but few clear chances, ends goalless.
- **HT: Brighton 0-0 Palace**
- **56:** Guessand comes on for Palace debut off the bench.
- **61 – GOAL:** Guessand slips in Sarr, who hammers the opener past Verbruggen.
- **65:** Henderson makes excellent save with his boot to deny Kostoulas one-on-one.
- **73:** Strand Larsen’s fierce effort is stopped by Verbruggen at the near post.
- **76:** Kamada makes eagerly-awaited return to action.
- **90:** Palace defend superbly to retain their lead.
- **90+4:** Strand Larsen is denied a debut-day goal after crisp low shot is saved.
- **FT: Brighton 0-1 Palace**

Heading into the renewal of rivalries with Brighton, club-record signing Strand Larsen was given his Palace debut from the start, hoping to cap a milestone week which saw him pen a four-and-a-half year contract with the club on Monday and celebrate his 26th birthday on Friday.

There was one other change to the team that drew 1-1 at Nottingham Forest, with Adam Wharton returning from suspension to start – whilst on the bench, Evann Guessand was also a potential debutant and Daichi Kamada – who injured his hamstring during 14th December’s match against Manchester City – was also back in the squad.

As one might expect from the occasion, it was a raucous atmosphere which greeted both sets of players out of the Amex Stadium tunnel – and that set the game up perfectly for a frantic start, played at high pace and high intensity.

Both teams threatened inside the opening five minutes, with Strand Larsen linking up well with the players around him, providing plenty of energy and pressing high up the pitch, earning himself a loud chant from the away end in front of him two minutes in.

At the other end, Kaoru Mitoma – Brighton’s best outlet in the first-half – won the hosts an early corner, which led to Lewis Dunk twice threatening early on, only for Maxence Lacroix and Jefferson Lerma to mop up the danger.

The opening period saw the kind of committed tackling and high adrenaline you might expect from the fixture, but it was from set-pieces where both teams really posed the most danger.

Palace in particular provided most of that threat, Lerma, Lacroix and Strand Larsen all winning plenty of headers without the ball falling to a golden shirt.

That being said, the clearest chance of the opening quarter did go Brighton’s way – but thankfully Dunk, with a free header from Pascal Gross’ free-kick delivery, nodded wide from six yards out.

Palace were growing into the contest, but were forced to remain alert, with Lacroix making one particularly important block on his midriff after a first-time strike by Maxim De Cuyper just inside the box.

The Eagles finished the first 45 the stronger of the two sides, as Brighton struggled to clear their lines from a series of Chris Richards long throws – one such clearance ricocheted off Strand Larsen and whistled just wide.

There was to be one final presentable chance for Palace as Daniel Muñoz – heavily involved in the Eagles’ build-up play – slipped a first-time pass between two defenders, allowing Sarr to race into the box. But from a tight angle, the Senegal forward, under pressure from a covering defender, sliced an effort wide of the near post.

Goalless at the break, but not for the wont of trying – but it took the introduction of another Palace debutant, Guessand, on 56 minutes to break the deadlock just after the hour mark.

Within five minutes of entering the pitch, the Ivory Coast international seized onto a loose Brighton headers in midfield, drove forwards and – lifting his head – spotted Sarr making a run from the right, outside-to-in, straight through the heart of the Brighton defence.

Guessand duly split the defence with a low pass which invited Sarr, running at full pelt, to take two touches into the area and – head up – hammer the ball high past the advancing Bart Verbruggen with his left foot, his third goal in two visits to the Amex Stadium as a Crystal Palace player.

Just two minutes later, another crucial moment in the contest – and Palace prevailed again. A ball round the corner from Mitoma put Charalampos Kostoulas in on goal but Dean Henderson raced off his line to narrow the angle – and, in front of the roaring away end, duly kick the effort away.

The first goal was always likely to set the tone in a tight game, and Henderson’s save was important – but Palace, to their credit, defended with great organisation and commitment, and were at no point penned in by their increasingly desperate hosts.

Indeed, it was a closing period which – for all of Brighton’s pressing – saw Palace enjoy the better chances, Strand Larsen denied a debut-day goal after seeing his fierce effort from a tight angle beaten away by Verbruggen at the near post.

To add to the positives, Kamada returned from the bench with 15 minutes to go, putting himself into several strong tackles to help shore up the defence.

As space opened up in injury time, Strand Larsen was denied again, his low placed strike kept out by the Brighton ‘keeper after a clever give-and-go-with Muñoz.

But with Palace in such resilient form defensively, the hosts never truly looked like equalising – and the Eagles were able to celebrate a first win of 2026, and back-to-back away wins at the Amex Stadium, with special scenes at the full-time whistle.

**Brighton:** Verbruggen (GK), Kadioglu, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper (Welbeck, 71), Howell (Minteh, 71), Baleba (Gomez, 71), Gross, Rutter (O'Riley, 82), Kostoulas (Hinshelwood, 82), Mitoma.

**Subs:** Steele (GK), Igor Julio, Veltman, Milner.

**Palace:** Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Lerma, Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes (Kamada, 74), Mitchell, Sarr (Johnson, 87), Strand Larsen, Pino (Guessand, 56).

**Subs:** Benítez (GK), Clyne, Riad, Canvot, Sosa, Uche.

### As It Happened

Crystal Palace’s wait for a first win of 2026 came to an end in spectacular fashion as Ismaïla Sarr’s brilliantly-taken goal – on the same ground he scored a brace last season – plus a fine defensive display saw the Eagles defeat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 at the Amex Stadium.

Report & Highlights: Sarr tears Brighton apart – again

Brighton and Hove Albion v Crystal Palace (2026-02-08)

Crystal Palace

Premier League

Brighton and Hove Albion

Last Match

Burnley

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The Norway international capped a milestone week in his life, having signed for Palace on Monday; celebrated his 26th birthday on Friday; and become the 32nd player in history to make his Palace debut against Brighton & Hove Albion, coming into the starting XI for a high-intensity contest at the Amex Stadium.

Although a series of strong saves from Bart Verbruggen denied the club-record signing a debut-day goal, Strand Larsen impressed throughout with his energy, pressing – and full-time celebrations, after Ismaïla Sarr’s goal capped a strong team performance and 1-0 win.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the No. 22 laughed: "I had cramps all over for that last finish! It was unlucky – a good save by the goalie.

“It was an unbelievable atmosphere and what a way to start my Crystal Palace career, with a win in a derby. We are really happy.

“\[Today was\] really important, after the run without wins before I joined. For me to come in and help the team win the first game in a long time is really important. 

"The fans backed us a lot today, and were singing all game – it gave us lots of energy.

“I think this is the most intense game I’ve ever played in! So I’m really tired now, but it was really worth it, and I’m really glad to be here.”

Strand Larsen only expects to go from strength to strength in a Palace shirt, adding: “I think you see today that I already got a few chances, and the last one almost went in.

“The style of play here suits me. It is intense, high pressure, winning the ball high up the pitch. We had a few chances today, and the more we train together, the more we play together, they will know my qualities and my strengths.

“I felt like I had a good game today but there is a lot of improvement as well, but a really good start to my journey here.

“I got fed a lot today and I will be in the future, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Jorgen Strand Larsen said his Crystal Palace debut – a memorable win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium – was the ‘most intense game I’ve ever played in!’

Strand Larsen: It was the most intense game I’ve ever played in!

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tunnel cam: <a href="https://t.co/5kIeOtQj9U">pic.twitter.com/5kIeOtQj9U</a></p>&mdash; Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CPFC/status/2020531675294322956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Crystal Palace made it back-to-back away wins against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon, with Jørgen Strand Larsen and Evann Guessand both making their debuts – and you can enjoy the best of the matchday imagery in our gallery below!

Gallery: Debuts, celebrations & special scenes at the Amex

Match reports

Match reports

Report & Highlights: Sarr tears Brighton apart – again

Strand Larsen: It was the most intense game I’ve ever played in!

Gallery: Debuts, celebrations & special scenes at the Amex

Shop Palace Shirts

7Ismaïla
Sarr

Match reports

Match reports

Report & Highlights: Sarr tears Brighton apart – again

Strand Larsen: It was the most intense game I’ve ever played in!

Gallery: Debuts, celebrations & special scenes at the Amex

Shop Palace Shirts

7IsmaïlaSarr

7Ismaïla
Sarr