Gomez scores from the halfway line as Brighton demolish Crystal Palace 4-0

Diego Gomez scored one of the goals of the Premier League season — a stunning strike from the halfway line — as Brighton dismantled Crystal Palace 4-0 at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, moving the Seagulls up to second in the table after seven games.

The afternoon was effectively over inside the opening ten minutes. Jaydee Canvot put through his own net to give Brighton the lead, before Gomez, 23, collected the ball in the centre circle and drilled a brilliant effort over Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez and into the net. Yasin Ayari then made it three before the quarter-hour mark, with Charalampos Kostoulas extending the advantage in the second half and Jack Hinselwood rounding off the scoring late on.

Gomez’s goal drew immediate comparisons to David Beckham’s famous long-range effort for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996. Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given was among those to draw the parallel. “It’s an amazing goal. Reminiscent of David Beckham,” Given said. “I don’t even blame Benitez the goalkeeper. You’ve just got to take your hat off to Gomez. That is just a brilliant, brilliant goal.”

Pundit Efan Ekoku was equally effusive. “What a strike,” he said. “He absolutely drills it out, superbly struck and right over the head of the keeper from the centre circle. That’s the goal of the season so far — what a hit.”

The Paraguayan midfielder, signed from MLS side Inter Miami in January 2025, has now contributed a goal and two assists this season as Brighton continue to thrive under head coach Fabian Hurzeler. Five wins from their opening seven league games leave the Seagulls second in the Premier League table.

Brighton’s attention now turns to European competition, with a Conference League fixture against Czech side Jablonec to come in midweek before a Premier League clash with Liverpool. Palace, meanwhile, face Turkish club Besiktas in Europe before their next league assignment against Newcastle.