Press conference

'Every time I played there, I suffered'

Mikel Arteta knows exactly how tough it is to leave Selhurst Park with all three points.

Our head coach never lost as a player against the Eagles, but always felt the effects of a physical battle in south London.

"Every time I played there, I suffered," Arteta said. "It was always tough. It is a very complicated stadium. Roy Hodgson is a manager with incredible experience and what he is doing there, it is very impressive and it will be tough.

"It is incredible how he deals with situations. To be living with this level of pressure for such a long time, the way he handles it, the way he behaves himself, the way he puts himself across, how respected he is around all the players and clubs, is remarkable. So I have big admiration for him."

One of our biggest challenges will be stopping Wilfried Zaha. The Ivory Coast international hasn't scored since the start of December, but his pace and trickery has caused us problems in the past.

"I think he's a terrific player and I think the impact he's had in the Premier League in the last few years has been phenomenal," Arteta said. "His ability to create chances on his own is unique.

"We know Wilf and the type of talent he is. When he gets isolated in one-on-one situations, we know what he can do. Of course it will be part of the gameplan."