Alan Pardew: Palace in great shape to take on Manchester City
Thursday 2 April 2015 15:31, UK
Alan Pardew says his in-form Crystal Palace side are relishing the challenge of facing Manchester City on Easter Monday.
The Eagles, who are in 11th place in the Premier League table, have won three out of the last four games.
Pardew said his side are ready to take on Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who have suffered three defeats in their past five matches.
Pardew said: “We’re in great form, great shape and we’re looking forward to the champions arriving on Monday.”
And asked if the winning run means more to him because of his links with the club, he added: “All the clubs I’ve worked for are close to my heart, you get emotionally attached to them and you work to the best of your ability.”
But Pardew is certainly not underestimating the challenge posed by Manchester City, regardless of recent results.
"They have fantastic players. When you're talking about the level they play at, the difference sometimes between winning and losing is marginal," said the Palace manager.
"The margins perhaps haven't fallen their way as much as they did the year before.
"It's a mistake to say this is a team in decline, I don't think it is. It's a team that will grow because they have incredible finance and incredible quality in their squad."
"This period is now a chase for them. They're trying to chase Chelsea down and they'll be looking for a result at our ground."
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The former Newcastle boss also welcomed Palace’s latest financial results which saw the club make a pre-tax profit of £23m with a record turnover of £90.4m.
Pardew said the figures show they have funds available to spend on players this summer.
“We’ve got a good base of players here," he said. “Three or four additions in the summer and we could be a strong candidate for the top 10.
“It suggests the club is on a great financial footing and the communication with fans is very good.
“We’re not just trying to improve the stadium but the training ground and we’re growing the club as quickly as we can.”
Watch Crystal Palace v Manchester City live on Sky Sports 1 at 8pm on Easter Monday.
