Crystal Palace v Brighton: Chris Hughton feels FA Cup rotation is necessary for Premier League survival... while Roy Hodgson welcomes VAR ahead of showdown

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Crystal Palace travel to Brighton for this season's second instalment of the M23 derby in the FA Cup third round, with both hoping for a little more than the goalless draw they fought out in November.

It's a cup tie with a twist though, with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) making its debut in English football on Monday night in the hope of ironing out the creases of those tricky refereeing decisions.

Ahead of one of the more unusual domestic rivalries, managers Chris Hughton and Roy Hodgson have their say on the encounter and all that it carries. 

Crystal Palace will travel to Brighton for the second instalment of the M23 derby in the FA Cup

CHRIS HUGHTON IN HIS OWN WORDS

Have the riches of the Premier League had a negative effect on the Cup?

It is the way that the game has changed. I know the FA Cup well and it has been very kind to me — I won it twice as a player.

I know what it means to this club, too. But some dynamics have changed. Would I want to win the FA Cup and get relegated? No.

So whereas before an FA Cup tie would see no changes, that is not the norm these days.

Does that mean you will be making changes?

You will see even Championship teams making wholesale changes. It is protecting what you have, making sure you can compete and stay in the division you are in.

Surely that devalues the Cup?

I don't think there is anyone who wants to devalue the FA Cup. But there are still only a few teams capable of winning it — that has been shown.

Each club goes into an FA Cup tie thinking about how far they can progress and weighing up what detriment it may be to their league position.

But I don't think there will be a manager, whatever team they put out, who doesn't want to go through.

Chris Hughton insists making wholesale changes in the FA Cup is part of the English game

ROY HODGSON IN HIS OWN WORDS

Has Palace's turnaround confirmed your belief that you are a good manager?

I've been working for 41 years. I've got so many titles. I've taken two unfancied teams to European finals (Inter Milan and Fulham). Just because I don't boast of my achievements doesn't mean I don't think I am a very good manager. I will always think that I am a very good manager. I know it.

Did you think you had something to prove after the Euro 2016 loss to Iceland?

My version of England and yours is very different. All the players that you are praising to the skies now with this young England team, they are the players I introduced to the team. After England, I didn't think, 'I've got something to prove'. I'll only carry on if I feel I've got something to offer.

What's your take on the use of a Video Assistant Referee?

This is like goalline technology —for years we discussed should we have it or not? Is it a good idea or not? Now I think hardly anybody thinks goalline technology is not a good idea. If we can use VAR in the same way as that, it will be ideal in my opinion but as I saw at the Confederations Cup in Russia there will be teething problems.

Roy Hodgson compared VAR to goalline technology and believes it will only benefit the sport