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Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed his delight at moving closer to Premier League survival after the Eagles picked up an emphatic 3-1 victory over Burnley on Saturday.

An own goal from Burnley's Phil Bardsley gave Palace the lead, and second-half goals from both Michy Batshuayi and Wilfried Zaha ensured they picked up a vital three points against a team who also find themselves in the bottom half of the league table.

Speaking to the BBC after the game, Hodgson insisted Palace are now moving closer towards safety in the division. He said: "Well it's just three points closer to that total you know you're going to need to give yourself a good chance of staying in the league, that's what it is. 

"40 points is the total we all aim for, and if we get there there's a good chance we'll be in the league again the following year. This means we're looking for seven [points] from nine [games], had we lost today we'd be looking for ten from nine.

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"There's lots of twists and turns yet, but this was a good three points for us and now we've got to get ourselves ready to play Brighton and Huddersfield, which also won't be easy for us in terms of getting the points. 

"I think we were very fortunate today to have a back four in good form, the two centre-backs in particular were excellent at dealing with crosses. 

"And then of course, when we could get the ball down in midfield and play the football we like to play, we did ask questions of them because we're capable of passing the ball well and moving it quickly, and then we do have the pace in the team to get behind people."

The result carries the Eagles to 13th in the Premier League, and they are now eight points clear of the relegation zone. They will look to continue their climb up the table with a positive result against Brighton on Saturday.