'Winning ugly' will suffice for stuttering Palace

Alex Pewter, FYP podcast, external

In keeping with the theme of last week, Crystal Palacemet expectations once again – in the form of another loss, albeit in a more dogged fashion this time, against Tottenham.

Neither we nor the team itself should dwell too long on that outcome, as turning an eye to November, the following three matches offer an excellent opportunity for Roy Hodgson and his side.

With Burnley, Everton and Luton Town on the horizon, the pressure to deliver results will be at its highest since the opening-day clash against Sheffield United. Gaining a minimum of six points should be a realistic aim to halt the downward slide in the mid-table.

As Friday's TV broadcast highlighted with graphics and discussions, the underlying attacking numbers for Palace are worrisome, but in a different sense than a year ago.

The team isn't struggling to take shots or hit the target in general but are converting just six per cent of their shots – which ranks 18th in the Premier League so far.

There can be elements of poor luck or good goalkeeping performances that factor into this – but with the prospect of facing two of the bottom teams in the league, playing with thin attacking margins is a risky business.

The club will remain ever hopeful for an Eberechi Eze or Michael Olise return to bolster their ranks, but even winning ugly in their absence will help to wash away the past two weeks.