Crystal Palace took another huge step towards Premier League survival after Jason Puncheon’s goal lifted them seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Villa manager Paul Lambert admitted his side were at risk of being sucked into a relegation battle after four consecutive defeats that have left them four points off the drop zone.

‘We have to be optimistic, we can’t let our heads go down, but we do need to stop the losing sequence,’ said Lambert. His side still have to face Manchester City and the pressure is mounting on him.

There were some discontented chants coming from the section of travelling fans at Selhurst Park, but Lambert denied that this season’s tally of 34 points after 33 games — identical to last year — indicated a lack of progress. ‘I still think this season we’re a million miles away from last season,’ he said.

‘You don’t know what’s happened behind the scenes. We’re still a million miles from where I want Aston Villa to be but there are other things going on.’

Palace manager Tony Pulis denied his side were assured Premier League football next season. But they are certainly heading that way. It was the first time this season that they have won three successive games, scoring five goals and not conceding in the process. Puncheon has scored three of those, but Pulis was keen to spread the plaudits.

‘Puncheon has done fantastic, but I think he will be the first one to say that although he is scoring the goals — and he’ll get the headlines again — the way the whole group work to help one another is pretty inspiring,’ he said. ‘That teamwork, that ethic is what has got us where we are. We’ve got players who have really stood strong when we’ve needed them to.’

Puncheon made the breakthrough on 76 minutes. Yannick Bolasie supplied the cross and the 27-year-old calmly turned in the box and finished low and powerfully past Brad Guzan and in off the post.

Palace’s Argentinian goalkeeper Julian Speroni, who could yet get a World Cup call-up, ensured the home side preserved their lead in the 87th minute when he dived low to his left to save a fizzing Andreas Weimann effort.

‘You don’t know what’s happened behind the scenes. We’re still a million miles from where I want Aston Villa to be but there are other things going on.’

Palace manager Tony Pulis denied his side were assured Premier League football next season. But they are certainly heading that way. It was the first time this season that they have won three successive games, scoring five goals and not conceding in the process. Puncheon has scored three of those, but Pulis was keen to spread the plaudits.

‘Puncheon has done fantastic, but I think he will be the first one to say that although he is scoring the goals — and he’ll get the headlines again — the way the whole group work to help one another is pretty inspiring,’ he said. ‘That teamwork, that ethic is what has got us where we are. We’ve got players who have really stood strong when we’ve needed them to.’

Puncheon made the breakthrough on 76 minutes. Yannick Bolasie supplied the cross and the 27-year-old calmly turned in the box and finished low and powerfully past Brad Guzan and in off the post.

Palace’s Argentinian goalkeeper Julian Speroni, who could yet get a World Cup call-up, ensured the home side preserved their lead in the 87th minute when he dived low to his left to save a fizzing Andreas Weimann effort.

Meanwhile, Pulis played down any advantage Palace received before last week’s win at Cardiff.

‘You look at it, for three weeks have picked the same formation and same team, we haven’t changed anything,’ he said.

‘Irrespective of who or where it has come from it is pure speculation until the team-sheet comes in. Although I try and avoid it myself, I have known managers change the team 10 minutes before the team sheets have gone in so it is very difficult to say it is definitely going to be that team.’

Pulis said he would never trust anyone with insider information on an opponent having come across attempts to leak things in the past.

‘I’ve been a manager for 900-odd games,’ he added.

‘You get phone calls from the press, you get phone calls from agents, you get phone calls from ex-players, you got phone calls about this and that.

‘The thing I will say is that I’m never, ever convinced what team we are going to play against until that team-sheet comes through the door, never.

‘Irrespective of who tells me, it could be my brother or it could be my wife telling me that it was the team, until the team-sheet comes in I never relax.’

—Daily Mail