To get the lowdown on Albion’s opponents Crystal Palace, I spoke to Robert Warlow, who is the Eagles writer at football.london:

What have you made of Palace's season so far?

It has been a mixed bag really for Palace. In the first half of the season they exceeded expectations, with the Eagles finding themselves in the top half of the table, despite struggling to score goals.

Their defence was strong in the early part of the campaign, and Palace were able to pick up points, both at home and away with some decent performances, including winning at Manchester United, West Ham and Burnley.

However, injuries have taken their toll over the busy festive period, and the defence has not been as solid, with Palace dropping down the table as a result.

Why do you think they have had trouble scoring goals this season?

The Eagles do not have a prolific goalscorer in the side, with Christian Benteke still struggling for goals.

Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha are both good players and will chip in with a few goals, but neither are likely to contribute 15 to 20 goals on their own over the course of the season.

There has been a lack of goals from other parts of the team too, and Palace simply do not create enough chances, and when they do, they are not clinical enough in front of goal.

Given that Albion are unbeaten in the last three derbies if their pressure on Palace to get a result?

I would say yes, but the win against Newcastle on Saturday has given Palace some breathing space.

Roy Hodgson said himself that without that result, the game would have taken on extra importance, but with a five-point gap between the two sides, and nine-point advantage over the bottom three, the pressure on the Eagles has eased a little.

But of course, the fans want a result against Brighton after the recent head-to-head, after Palace arguably put in two of their worst performances against the Seagulls last season, and were outplayed for large parts of the 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park in December.

What have you made of Wilfried Zaha this season?

Like Palace overall, it has been a mixed bag.

He was not the same player at the beginning of the season, following the speculation over his future in the summer, but as the season has gone on, his influence on the team has increased, with some standout moments like the goal against Brighton in December.

By his standards, it has not been comparable with recent seasons in terms of goals and assists, but he still remains a threat and will be one to watch for Brighton.

Do you think Palace can still be dragged into the relegation battle?

Up until Saturday, I would have said yes, but the win against Newcastle was vitally important after three defeats in a row.

The lack of goals in the team is still a concern, but I think they will have enough to stay clear of trouble.

Defensively, Palace are much better than some of the other teams below them and I would be surprised if they were dragged into it.

Score prediction?

I think it will be a close game and could be a repeat of the scoreline from earlier this season. 1-1.