Brighton's Schelotto and Crystal Palace's Zaha in touchline bust-up

Ezequiel Schelotto and Wilfried Zaha in furious touchline bust-up before Brighton substitute mocks Crystal Palace star with cry-baby gesture in heated M23 derby

• Ezequiel Schelotto was warming up when he clased with Wilfried Zaha 
• The Crystal Palace man appeared to spit towards the Brighton replacements
• But a bust-up occurred when right-back Schelotto hit Zaha with the ball
• Jordan Ayew’s solitary goal win Palace the bragging rights in fiery M23 derby 

Brighton right-back Ezequiel Schelotto was booked midway through the first half following a bust-up with rival Wilfried Zaha as tempers flared between the hosts and Crystal Palace.  

The altercation came about when the Palace winger appeared to spit towards the Brighton substitutes warming up on the touchline.

But a bust-up occurred when Schelotto hit Zaha with the ball. The Ivory Coast international, who had been getting stick from the home crowd, reacted furiously and immediately confronted the Brighton player. 

Brighton’s Ezequiel Schelotto and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha clashed in the derby

Brighton right-back Schelotto was booked for kicking a ball at Zaha in Palace’s victory 

Wilfried Zaha cupped his ears as the Brighton fans jeered him after he appeared to spit

The 27-year-old winger sprinted over to the Argentine and gave him a shove before the pair became engaged in a series of verbals.

The duo were eventually broken up and the referee subsequently showed Schelotto a yellow card for his part in the incident, while Zaha escaped with just a warning.

The feud did not end there, as just a few minutes later Schelotto goaded the Palace player once more, being caught on camera shouting something towards Zaha. 

Argentine Schelotto did not stop his taunts towards Zaha after the incident had occurred

The Argentine then continued his taunts by making a cry-baby gesture at the Palace winger. 

The incident came with fans already having clashed with police ahead of the fiery M23 derby.

But Palace were the side who claimed the bragging rights on this occasion, with Jordan Ayew’s breakaway goal seeing Roy Hodgson’s men claim a smash-and-grab win at the Amex. 

He made a cry-baby gesture towards the Ivory Coast international, who received a warning

Palace boss Hodgson however said that he had no problem with Zaha’s behaviour in the derby and praised referee Martin Atkinson for how he dealt with the ‘minor’ bust-up. 

‘I thought Zaha’s discipline was very good today. It was a minor incident really,’ Hodgson said in his post-match press conference.

‘For a game of this importance I thought the game was played in the right spirit. Luckily we had one of the best referees in the country.’

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