Crystal Palace have struggled to get going since the Premier League’s resumption, winning just one of their eight games since Boxing Day.

The Eagles cross the capital following a 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion last time out.

Edmund Brack, Crystal Palace reporter for the South London Press, shares his thoughts ahead of Saturday’s game at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Crystal Palace are 12th in the Premier League having earned 25 points from their 22 games so far. What have you made of the last few months?

There’s a real contrast with where the club was the last time Palace came to Brentford, to where it is now.

They are seven points away from the relegation zone and will feel as though they are in relative control of their own situation, but it doesn’t feel as though they have really seized their opportunities to build on what they accomplished.

The style of play has regressed - it doesn’t feel like the attacking options are flourishing - and, before the equaliser against Brighton, which was a gift, they had scored one goal from open play in 720 minutes of football.

It’s not been pretty or enjoyable, which is a real contrast to last season when Palace had Conor Gallagher setting the press, Michael Olise flourishing and Wilfried Zaha bang in form.

As you said, there’s a bit of a buffer between Palace and the group of teams that appear to be the prime candidates for relegation, but is there any worry they could slip into that pack?

I think so, yes. If you look at the teams around them – Wolves, Leeds, Everton – they have all reacted and brought in new managers. Aston Villa have leapfrogged Palace now because they appointed Unai Emery.

It feels like Palace have gambled a little bit on their position in the league and are hoping the points they accrued in the first half of the season will be enough to carry them over the line with a few extra wins in the second half.

It also feels like they didn’t strengthen in the necessary positions in the January transfer window.

Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta have failed to nail down a starting spot by not scoring goals consistently and I don’t think Patrick Vieira really knows what his best attacking line-up is. He played 4-4-2 last weekend and has played both Jordan Ayew and Zaha through the middle, so it doesn’t feel like there’s a consistent attacking force at Palace.

They addressed the midfield issue with the signings of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Naouirou Ahamada, but there are still some obvious holes in the squad, which have led to uncertainty creeping in.

It doesn’t feel like Palace are the complete package at the moment.

Zaha has been absent since 21 January with a hamstring injury. How much of a miss has he been during the past couple of games?

In terms of his personality and his talismanic attitude in carrying the team up the pitch and creating something from absolutely nothing, Zaha been a huge miss.

Before the World Cup break, he was on fire. He started the season in scintillating fashion, cutting in from the left and scoring some really good goals.

It went off for him a little bit, to be fair, before he picked up the injury. He had been playing with strapping around his leg for a while, so it was always likely to happen.

I don’t think he’ll be fit enough for the game against Brentford.

His absence has provided a stark realisation as to what life could be like without him at Palace – and it has not made for great viewing.

Which played should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

Olise has really kicked on since he joined from Reading.

Perhaps he hasn’t picked up the number of goals and assists he would have liked – and that’s not always necessarily been his fault – but he is someone who, presented with the right opportunity, can create something for a side that doesn’t do very much in front of goal.

How is Vieira likely to set up at the Gtech Community Stadium?

Last season I could have told you the starting line-up and formation with ease, but that’s not been the case this season.

It’s usually the same back five, though. Chris Richards has picked up an injury, so James Tomkins will more than likely keep his place in the side.

As Brentford like to have the ball, I assume it will be a 4-2-3-1.

Lokonga might come in for Will Hughes, but, honestly, it’s hard to pick what the starting XI will be because I don’t think Vieira knows it himself.

The last three meetings have all ended in a draw. What’s your score prediction for this one?

The one thing I will say about Palace is that they are defensively sound and are not conceding a huge amount of goals since they were battered by Fulham and Spurs.

Vieira has found a way of keeping them quite structured at the back.

Due to the fact Brentford are flying high and Palace don’t look like scoring, I’ll go for a 1-0 Brentford win.