'Palace need a special performance to beat Everton'

Palace go into the game with one of the most goal-shy attacks in the Premier League and having claimed just a point from their last three league games.

Everton, on the other, hand have won their last two and are looking to push on into the top half after welcoming back a host of injured players during the international break.

"Whenever you go to Goodison Park you're going to face a tough game," Hodgson admitted. "It is a very good crowd that they have there, a partisan crowd that really supports their team.

"It's an iconic stadium, one of the older ones that still has that smell, if you like, of English First Division football before the Premier League came onto the scene.

"Whatever state the club is supposed to be in, good or bad, it is always going to be a very difficult place to go and play.

"Of course we have the situation where our results have not been as good as we want to be. We are certainly more in need of points than Everton are at this moment.

"We realise that we're going to have to do something special up there if we want to come away from the game with a positive result."

The 'Eagles' could be without star man Wilfried Zaha for the game after he suffered a suspected adductor injury whilst playing for the Ivory Coast and with Palace having not won without their homegrown star since September 2016, Hodgson admits the winger will be missed.

"The fact is he is a very, very important player," said Hodgson.

"He is undoubtedly a player that can make things happen and win games off his own back, as he's done on one or two occasions when things have looked bleak.

"He has stepped up and produced a wonder goal, or a dribble or a run into the penalty box which has created a goal chance for us.

"Like all teams, when you've got a player who can make a difference - when he doesn't play it certainly weakens your chance of winning the game."