Alan Pardew says Crystal Palace are now safe and looking upwards

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew believes the Eagles are now safe from relegation and are looking upwards.

The Selhurst Park club are lying in 11th place in the Premier League - 13 points clear of the drop zone - having recorded a remarkable 2-1 win over champions Manchester City on Monday - their third consecutive victory.

Pardew said: "Our level of performance has been such that our goals have to be re-evaluated and reset as you go along. I've always done that with my teams.

"We can now look at the three teams above us and try and chase them down. The goal of staying in the division was the goal and we mustn't get away from that and rest on our laurels now that we've achieved it to a degree.

"We might have enough points already. It is now about trying to keep our professionalism and keep on the process of what's been winning us games.

"It changes the agenda and the pressure as you go along in the Premier League. The pressure on us is now one of expectation, complacency and can we cope with those different pressures?

As a manager you're finding out about your team. What I do know is when the fight comes, when we really have to grind, the team has proven they've got that in them.

"As a manager you're finding out about your team. What I do know is when the fight comes, when we really have to grind, the team has proven they've got that in them.

"That's a really wonderful quality that they had before I arrived."

Palace travel to the Stadium of Light to face struggling Sunderland on Saturday.

Looking ahead to the trip to Wearside, Pardew said: "We're going there in great form. The stadium will be wary of us, the 11 players on the pitch.

"Irrespective of my reception, it's about the 11 players on the pitch and Sunderland fans know that we're in really good form.

"The group is on a high. We have a different type of game this Saturday and we need to make the adjustment quickly."