James Milner is set for a landmark 653rd Premier League appearance when Brighton host Crystal Palace on Sunday, drawing level with Gareth Barry’s record. Head coach Fabian Hurzeler plans to involve Milner, whose experience could be vital as both clubs struggle for form in mid-table.
Brighton currently sit 13th in the Premier League, with Crystal Palace two places and two points behind after difficult recent runs. Since the start of December, both teams have collected only nine league points, with only Wolves and Burnley taking fewer during that spell.
Milner’s next outing will match Barry’s total appearances, yet Milner has played 14,031 fewer Premier League minutes than Barry. The 40-year-old has featured 14 times this season, mainly as a substitute,
and is again expected to make a late cameo against Brighton’s long-standing rivals at the Amex.
Hurzeler confirmed Milner’s presence in the matchday group, saying: "He will definitely be in the squad. For me, James Miller is a role model. He's a great character to work with and I think being a Premier League player at his age and still playing and training at the level he does is incredible. I'm very pleased to work with him. I think it will be a special thing for him. But he's focused on the vision of the club as well. He wants to be successful, like he has been his whole life. Players like James know what it needs to win. They know how you need to prepare for a game. They know how you react in bad runs like we have at the moment. It's so important to have these kinds of players in the squad who are also great leaders. "
Milner’s longevity is underlined by another mark: the midfielder has now appeared in Premier League matches across 25 separate calendar years, a span highlighted by the competition itself.
James Milner has now played in the Premier League in 25 calendar years pic.twitter.com/JBJiZnDMzJPremier League (@premierleague) January 3, 2026
While the attention will naturally fall on Milner’s record, Brighton’s main creative influence is likely to be Pascal Gross. Gross scored in the 1-1 draw with Everton on matchday 24, and remains central to Brighton’s attacking structure under Hurzeler despite the team’s recent downturn.
That goal against Everton made Gross the first Brighton player to score under all four of the club’s Premier League managers. Gross has 10 goals in 63 league matches for Chris Hughton, 10 in 98 for Graham Potter, 10 in 67 for Roberto de Zerbi, and one in five under Hurzeler so far.
Only one other player has scored for a single Premier League club under every manager when working with at least four coaches. Peter Ndlovu achieved that at Coventry City, finding the net under Bobby Gould, Phil Neal, Ron Atkinson and Gordon Strachan, matching Gross’ rare managerial spread.
Brighton vs Crystal Palace Premier League focus: Palace transfers and Sarr impact
Crystal Palace reshaped the attack during the January transfer window, adding Brennan Johnson, Evann Guessand and Jorgen Strand Larsen. However, that activity was offset by the departure of captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City, removing a key defensive figure and changing the balance of the squad.
Head coach Oliver Glasner, who had previously criticised Palace’s limited spending, welcomed the new arrivals, stating: "It feels like a new team, with three new players coming in. Now it's really to start. We got Guessand in. He had his first week of training with us. Brennan arrived a few weeks ago. Now, for us, it's about pressing the reset button. "
Ismaila Sarr remains one of Palace’s main threats. Only Jean-Philippe Mateta, with 10 goals in all competitions this season, has scored more for Palace than Sarr’s nine. Sarr also hit two goals and supplied one assist in Palace’s 3-1 win at the Amex in December 2024.
Working pic.twitter.com/mhNTRmtgZbCrystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 5, 2026
Brighton vs Crystal Palace Premier League focus: Recent record and prediction
Historically, this fixture has been tight. Brighton have managed only two wins in their last 13 league meetings with Palace, drawing seven and losing four. Both of those Brighton victories came at home, suggesting the Amex has offered some recent edge in this rivalry.
Palace, however, have enjoyed the better of the last three league clashes, taking two wins and one draw. Before this recent spell, the Eagles had beaten Brighton only once in 12 Premier League games, during which there were six draws and four Brighton victories, underlining how momentum has shifted more than once.
Form coming into Sunday’s contest is poor on both sides. Since matchday 16, which marked the beginning of Palace’s current league drought, the Eagles have gone nine Premier League matches without a win, drawing three and losing six, and last reached 10 or more without victory between January and March 2023.
Palace’s issues in attack are clear. Over that winless period, Palace have scored only five league goals and underperformed their expected goals by just over eight, with 13.3 xG. That shortfall is the largest negative gap between actual goals and xG in the Premier League in that timeframe.
Defensively, Palace have also struggled since early December, posting a goal difference of minus 10, with eight goals scored and 18 conceded. Brighton’s numbers are also modest, and the pair’s identical points haul in that period highlights why both teams remain in the lower half.
Analytical models still lean towards the hosts. Opta’s win probability gives Brighton a 51.5% chance of victory, with a Palace win rated at 23.9% and the draw at 24.7%, reflecting Brighton’s home advantage and Palace’s long winless stretch.
| Result | Opta win probability |
|---|---|
| Brighton win | 51.5% |
| Crystal Palace win | 23.9% |
| Draw | 24.7% |
Neither Brighton nor Crystal Palace approach this meeting with strong confidence, yet the match still carries weight. Brighton have home support, Gross in consistent form and Milner chasing history, while Palace look to integrate new signings and end a damaging barren run in the Premier League.
