(REUTERS) - Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson expects his players to avoid the hype of a derby and keep their emotions under control when they visit south-coast rivals Brighton in the English Premier League later on Tuesday.

Basement side Palace travel to Amex Stadium for the first time in four years, seeking their first point on the road this campaign.

"It's important as a manager that you don't add to the hype, because you need players to play with their head and their heart," Hodgson told a news conference.

"If you put too much emphasis on the heart, maybe you don't have the head.

"I'm hoping to see a good performance tomorrow and that we're going to continue playing in the style we've been playing. You hope that something unfortunate doesn't happen to you and that you get the rub of the green."

Having lost eight consecutive league games without scoring at the start of the season, Palace have kick-started their campaign in recent weeks, with eight points from six matches.

The manager said Palace will need to improve significantly to climb out of the relegation zone but said they are on the right path.

"I think the fans are starting to see a team that they can identify with better than the team they saw at the start of the season," Hodgson added.

"I think they are getting some sort of belief that even though we've given ourselves a mountain to climb, there's some chance we'll be able to do that."