The away end, two thousand Palace fans who had driven down the A23 on a Saturday morning, erupted. The travelling support had been singing for seventy-eight minutes without reward, and the reward, when it came, was worth every second of patience.
The final twelve minutes were professional. Dann redeemed himself with three clearances and a block that prevented Knockaert from equalising. Sakho won everything in the air. Wan-Bissaka made two tackles that should have been anatomically impossible.
And Hennessey, who had started because Pope was being rested for the Arsenal second leg, punched a last-minute corner with the authority of a man who had been Palace's first-choice keeper for three seasons and who was not about to let the tenth consecutive win slip through his gloves.
The whistle blew. Brighton 1-2 Crystal Palace.
Ten consecutive Premier League wins.
[Brighton 1-2 Crystal Palace. Goals: Benteke 29', Pato 78'. Brighton: Dunk 53'.]
