If Brighton survive this season – and they survived this game thanks to several Newcastle misses and some good goalkeeping – there is every chance we will be talking about the signing of Pascal Gross as a masterstroke. The German midfielder with a picture-perfect delivery has been involved in all of Brighton’s Premier League goals, and was instrumental again at the Amex in the 1-0 win over Newcastle when his free-kick homed in on Dale Stephens, who headed down for Tomer Hemed to finish. The value of an accurate set-piece taker cannot be overlooked in a squad short on goalscorers and one suspects there will be plenty more of those well-rehearsed moves. Ingolstadt were relegated despite Gross creating more chances than any other Bundesliga player; Chris Hughton will hope his creative streak delivers safety for Brighton. Lawrence Ostlere
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