Pardew: Stoke Are A Threat

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew looks ahead to tomorrow’s game with the Potters…

ALAN PARDEW says he is not reading into Stoke City’s start to the season as he prepares his Crystal Palace side for tomorrow’s Premier League clash with the Potters.

Stoke sit bottom of the league table after four games and travel to Selhurst Park on Sunday gunning for their first win of the campaign in front of the live television cameras.

Despite last weekend’s disappointing defeat to Tottenham, Mark Hughes’ side were on the end of unfortunate defeats to Manchester City and Everton after picking up a point at Middlesbrough.

Pardew is wary of the attacking threat City possess and believes a difficult round of opening fixtures is the cause of their slow start.

Speaking in his mandatory pre-match press conference, the Palace manager said: “They will be absolutely fine. They have a great squad and a great manager.

“They’ve had a very difficult start with fixtures and that’s one of the main reasons why they’re bottom of the league, not because they’re a poor team.

“They have other attacking players who are just as dangerous as Bony including Arnautovic, Bojan, Diouf and Walters who you can put into that list – they have a real strike force there.

“I think they’ve started ok, but they have had some tough games. Mark Hughes is a great manager and what he’s done there to change the style is there for all to see.”

As well as aiming to achieve their first league victory of the season, the Potters will also be looking to end a run of four straight defeats against the south London outfit.

The Eagles secured a league double alongside a FA Cup triumph last season as well as earning a win at the end of the 2014/15 calendar.

Pardew is expecting a determined City side to arrive at Selhurst Park tomorrow afternoon and admits his side must be on good form to pick up all three points.

“We all know the margins in the Premier League are so fine that the difference between the two sides is minimal,” he added.

“The games last season were tight ones, particularly at their place when it could have gone either way.

“When you’ve had defeats against a club, it does make you more determined and I think they will be on Sunday.”
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Source://www.stokecityfc.com