Pictures: Huge police presence at Brighton as Crystal Palace fans arrive at Amex Stadium

It’s one of the first fixtures Brighton and Crystal Palace fans look out for in the Premier League. The two clubs have developed quite the rivalry over the years and the game is often a well-contested affair on and off the pitch.

This time Brighton are the favourites going into the match as Roberto De Zerbi’s men are seventh in the Premier League and fighting for European qualification. Palace in contrast have struggled at times this season and their manager Patrick Vieira arrives under-pressure for a result. They are 12th in the Premier League but just three points above the drop zone.

The visitors’ problems increased ahead of kick-off as Crystal Palace were forced to hand 19-year-old goalkeeper Joseph Whitworth a professional debut at Brighton. Whitworth replaced regular number one Vicente Guaita after he sustained an injury.

For Albion, Levi Colwill came in for Adam Webster in the Brighton defence and experienced striker Danny Welbeck started ahead of Evan Ferguson.

Here’s a collection of cracking images from Getty and Eddie Mitchell showing the scene at the Amex Stadium before kick-off...