March 21 2017

Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace may have lifted themselves out of the relegation zone, but with 10 games remaining, there is a lot of work ahead, writes Ben Blake.

The 1-0 win against Watford not only put three more priceless points in the bag towards safety, but also illustrated the new-found desire and hunger that the players have to pull themselves out of the predicament they find themselves in.

Four wins in six games would certainly point towards a transformation in confidence and belief, even if it took Big Sam a while to find a winning solution from the wreckage that ALAN PARDEW left behind.

Jason Puncheon has made it known that he is willing to fight for the cause, and while that has been reflected in his recent performances, it appears to be a collective effort from a team that is starting to pull together and show the never-say-die attitude that will prevent Crystal Palace from dropping into the Championship.

Beating Middlesbrough 1-0 at Selhurst Park could ultimately prove to be the turning point in Palace’s season, with new signing Patrick van Aanholt becoming a instant hit with the fans by scoring the winner that has gone some way to paying back a big chunk of his transfer fee.

Following it up with an excellent performance and win at West Brom can only have further lifted spirits in the camp and then again on Saturday against Watford thanks to Troy Deeney's own goal.

But while some fans may have already turned to playing online casino games on Lucky Nugget as a means of alleviating the nerves and taking their mind off their team’s battle against relegation, there is no getting away from the fact that Crystal Palace are by no means out of the woods just yet.

However, being four points ahead and a game in hand over third-bottom Hull should offer Big Sam huge confidence that can not only maintain his own record of not tasting relegation from the Premier League, but also preserve the club’s top-flight status.

Facing Chelsea on away soil provides the start of what should be considered as 10 cup finals for Crystal Palace, as the team aims to secure their fourth straight success and take one step further towards safety.

Big Sam will hope that the likes of Luka Milivojevic, Mamadou Sakho and Wilfried Zaha continue their impressive form and make the difference in a tough encounter with games against Southampton and Arsenal up after that.

The club would certainly benefit from landing a big sponsorship deal that would rank alongside the biggest marketing stunts listed on Lucky Nugget to not only further lift the spirits around the club, but also provide a welcome distraction from the prospect of facing some of the best teams in the Premier League during the run-in.

However, Palace’s season will ultimately be defined by the results they pick up against teams around them, and as the win against Middlesbrough proved, victory in the relegation six-pointers will undoubtedly enable the club to retain their top-flight status.