Crystal Palace boss still feels more to be done to guarantee Premier League status for 2020-21 season

Roy Hodgson doesn’t expect his Crystal Palace side to get sucked into Premier League trouble – but doesn’t feel it is job done just yet despite their derby joy against Brighton.

Jordan Ayew’s second-half goal at the Amex Stadium means that the Eagles are 12th in the table, a full nine points clear of the bottom three with only 10 fixtures to go.

But Hodgson, who celebrated his 100th Premier League game in charge of Palace at the weekend, said: “I don’t think 36 points makes you safe. Even though the goal difference isn’t bad, we need more points than that.

“But we’ve got 10 games to do that in and I’ve got to say the way we are, the way this group of players is – with ones coming back from injury too – I can’t really see us surrendering what we’ve done so far. But we don’t take anything for granted.

“We’ll enjoy Saturday and Sunday but we’ll be back to it on Monday for Watford, making sure we get our points in that game.”

Palace have won back-to-back top-flight fixtures for the first time since December.

“Defenders need to practise their game and nowadays players are so professional they wouldn’t thank you for not making them work at their game,” said Hodgson. “If they are attackers then it is about working at their attacking side.

“I don’t hear too many complaints. It’s brought its rewards in the last two games – two clean sheets and two 1-0 victories is like the Arsenal of old. It was a remarkable victory. This is a fixture we haven’t done so well in in recent years – so it is nice to break that hoodoo as well.

“We knew we’d have to get our defending and shape right and win our challenges.”