Crystal Palace Winger Wilfried Zaha Condemns Abuse From Brighton Fans Before Derby Clash

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has hit out at Brighton fans who sent him abuse online ahead of Tuesday night's 0-0 draw at the Amex Stadium.

The 25-year-old had been interviewed prior to the game, and emphasised the significance of the rivalry between the two clubs.

Zaha had been asked the extent of his hatred for Brighton on a scale of one to ten, and replied "11", an answer which did not go down well with certain sections of the Seagulls' support.

But the Ivory Coast international has since taken to Instagram to call for an end to unacceptable comments aimed in his direction.

He wrote: "As you know I'm all for the football rivalry banter but as for Brighton fans tweeting 'I hope Zaha breaks his leg and I'll cheer'.

"Need to grow up honestly."

He then added: “I’ll accept all the banter but don’t wish things like that on my life!

“Whether you think your [sic] funny or not.”

Zaha's teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek was also quizzed on the derby, admitting his prior ignorance to the importance of the clash.

"We were at a signing the other day and Wilf was getting interviewed and the guy said 'how much do you hate Brighton on a scale of one-to-10 and Wilf goes '11!' - so that tells me everything," the Chelsea loanee told the Telegraph.

"I didn't even know, so when Wilf said that I was like 'okay, they don't like each other then.'"

Palace remain bottom of the Premier League table after the goalless draw, although they moved level on points with Swansea.