Pascal Gross has hit top form for Albion in the Premier League - after a bullying by Harry Maguire.

The energetic German initially found it tough to adjust from the Bundesliga, where he played last season for relegated Ingolstadt.

At Leicester in the opening away game he was outmuscled by the imposing Maguire and substituted by Chris Hughton midway through the second half.

Now Gross goes into Sunday's clash against Newcastle at the Amex as the man to watch for the Seagulls - and a player for opponents to be wary of.

He scored twice in the last home game against West Brom.

He also set up Tomer Hemed's header for the third goal and another for Solly March in last Friday's defeat at Bournemouth.

Two goals and two assists in five games is quite an impact. Gross might be catching the opposition by surprise but not his compatriot in the dressing room, Uwe Huenemeier (below).

The Argus: The central defender told The Argus: "I was asked about him a few weeks ago, if there is something more coming from him.

"I said already I expected a bit more from him attacking, chances created and scoring goals.

"You can see after the game against West Brom he took a lot of confidence out of that game.

"You could see that against Bournemouth as well, when he set up the goal. He showed his composure on the ball and his strength. That's what he is capable of, not just running.

"One of his biggest strengths is he is always closing down centre-halves. He helps even the midfield players, but he wants to create chances, get involved in goals.

"In the last two games he has done it really well. I think he is getting better and getting used to the physicality of the Premier League.

"That was the one factor he struggled with a little bit in the first games.

"He got bullied away by some of the defenders, like Maguire at Leicester. He said after that game it was hard for him.

"He accepted it and now he has turned it into better performances. I'm really happy for him."

Huenemeier's reference to Gross's running is with good reason. Stats reveal he is second in the Premier League table of kilometres covered per match.

An average of 12.6km puts him ahead of Aaron Ramsey and behind only the flag-bearer of industrious endurance, James Milner.

It is not just Gross's work ethic that attracted Hughton and the recruitment team when a release clause in his contract with Ingolstadt was exploited and the 26-year-old, under the radar, launched Albion's summer revamp for the top flight for a modest investment of around £3 million.

Gross operated primarily in central midfield for his former club. From that deeper position he still led the assists in the Bundesliga, creating nearly 100 chances in a struggling side.

He was identified for the number ten role, the link-man position pivotal to Hughton's tactical tinkering from his 4-4-2 formation in the Championship. Gross is already proving to be a roaming influence.

The manner of the goals he has scored and provided emphasise that he is difficult to pin down.

The Argus: Against West Brom he popped up beyond the far post to tuck away a cross from Solly March, cutting back inside to score with his left foot (above).

Released by Hemed, his second goal arose from a central run and right-foot shot from outside the area.

Gross, who arrived with a reputation as a set piece expert, was then on the left-wing to deliver a pinpoint cross for Hemed's header.

Against Bournemouth, he was on the right flank when another penetrating ball into the box was nodded in by March.

He has created 11 chances for his team-mates, so Gross so far is both the leading goalscorer and lead supplier of opportunities.

He has also completed 107 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 74 per cent, of which 64 per cent were forward passes.

The evidence of the figures and with the naked eye is an indication of how important Gross is going to be to Albion's quest for survival, especially after missing out on a run-in-behind striker to stretch defences during the transfer window.

He told The Argus during the pre-season trip to Austria: "I think I'm good with the ball, but I'm also a hard worker."

He has been true to his word. A buoyant Newcastle, seeking a fourth straight win, will be doing themselves a Gross disservice if they under-estimate the danger from the epitome of Teutonic efficiency.