And here we have a clash of not just styles, but sheer physics. One is a nippy striker who once played for Bishops Stortford and made his Premier League debut on Sunday, the other is an England international (1 cap) who started life at Manchester United and is entering his sixth season in the Premier League. Oh, and one is 5'9, the other 6'3. It is fair to say Palace will not get much joy out of Gayle if they pump balls up in the air to him. The whole Stoke backline, indeed the whole side is on the tall side, and after so long under Pulis' tutelage they are naturally proficient in the air. However, if Palace can get their record signing running at the Stoke defence, then they might be in business. Shawcross of course has a lot of experience and will be used to dealing with pace, but with Stoke being at home and Hughes wanting his side to build from the back, the 25-year-old from Chester will not be able to simply revert to default, dropping deep and keeping the opposition in front of him. If there is any space behind the back line Gayle could make use of his pace. This might be Palace's most effective weapon. Have we missed any other key battles?
