It took 62 painful minutes against a couple of old-fashioned centre-halves for Pascal Gross to appreciate what the Premier League is all about.

If Albion score against Crystal Palace tonight, there is a good chance the German No.10 will be involved somewhere along the line.

Gross has been a revelation, with three of the 13 goals and five assists.

This influential contributon spans 11 games, not 13.

An opening day defeat and blank at home to Manchester City was not unexpected. It was at Leicester a week later, when Gross was up against Harry Maguire and Wes Morgan and substituted just past the hour by Chris Hughton in a 2-0 defeat, that the Seagulls' first summer signing from relegated Bundesliga side Ingolstadt endured a beneficial awakening.

"I think that was really the moment where I recognised I had to change my game, that it's a different league, more physical," he said.

"You change your game a little bit so you can show your strengths.

"The way I played in the first two games - Man City was different - but Leicester, when you don't get free-kicks in situations it looks stupid. You have to do it in another way.

"I learned very much from this game. After it I really thought a lot about the game and I have to change my game to show my strengths and help the team, because how I played in this game was not good enough.

"I am the type of player that thinks a lot about how I can improve, after every game, every training (session). This was very good for me to start the season well, to know I had to go another way.

"The main thing was to be more physical. When you go into tight situations where you can get a touch and maybe get a free-kick in dangerous situations for the other team, in England the refs don't whistle that often.

"I like it, the game has a little bit more intensity. There are not so many breaks in the game but you have to get used to it, so I try in tight situations to play a little bit faster and to get myself into situations where I can turn and create something. You have to look from game to game where the gaps are."

Gross's studious philosophy and boundless energy - he is a frontrunner in the Premier League ground covered stats - emanates from his father, Stephan He said: "My dad also played in the Bundesliga (for Karlsruher SC) and he also had a lot of energy, ran a lot, so I get it a little bit from my parents, but I also train hard.

"In the (summer) holiday for example, I train hard, run a lot for myself, to keep me fit, because I know it's a strength.

"It's important for my game to be fit, that my team-mates can always find me and play to me, and to have the power to keep the ball and create something."

Stephan will be at the Amex again tonight. He flies to and fro from the family home in Mannheim to watch his son.

"My dad has seen every game, home and away," Gross (below) said. "My dad's not working any more, he's 64, he has the time to come every time. My mum and sister are still working. When they have time they come.

The Argus: "Of course we speak after the game. I tell him my opinion, he then tells me if he agrees or if, from his side, it looks different.

"I also watch other games, all the Bundesliga and other Premier League games if it's possible. I like to talk about football and, of course, we talk about football. That's our life."

The post-match chat between Gross junior and senior at Old Trafford on Saturday will have been constructively optimistic after Albion's unfortunate 1-0 defeat but meaningless in the context of tonight's contrasting test.

The Argus: "It's a totally different game," Gross (above) said. "Manchester played in the Champions League and then we came and played very well at Old Trafford, deserved a point.

"We showed our quality in a big stadium, so we have come out of it with a lot of confidence.

"But Crystal Palace is a different game. They are at the bottom of the table and they will fight for their lives, because Palace-Brighton is a big game.

"I know. The manager has talked to me all week that it's a big game!

"They will fight for their lives because it's a big game, a big game for our fans. First you have to fight for every yard of the pitch, then you can play football.

"It's easier to play with confidence when you have some points in the bag, so we're very happy about the start. But we also know it's a long season and we need many more points."

Gross has experienced significant fixtures in Germany, although not quite on the same scale.

He said: "I played some derbies but I don't know if they are as big as Brighton-Palace. Ingolstadt is not the biggest club but we had some small derbies, like in the Bundesliga against Augsberg.

"Here, I think it is a little bit more (intense). We have to play in every game like it's a cup game, fight for every point and three points, to achieve our goal at the end of the season.

"That's what we are playing for tonight, for three points and for the fans - because it's very important for the city, for the club and the fans."