Ahead of hosting Leicester, the Chilean said: "I think that is a matter we need to improve because we lost too many points at home.

"We now have to play two (home) games in a row and the hope is that we can start by beating Leicester.

"We know it's a difficult game against a good team but I think that our team at the moment is not playing bad, but we must be more concentrated (when) defending."

After hosting Leicester, Bournemouth travel to the capital on January 1 and West Ham will hope Lukasz Fabianski will be able to return for one of these league fixtures.

He has not played since the draw away to the Cherries in September due to a torn hip muscle and fellow goalkeeper David Martin is now sidelined with the same issue.

Stand-in Roberto did little wrong against Palace at Selhurst Park, but extended his run of games in the team without a win to eight on Boxing Day.

The visit of Brendan Rodgers' high-flying Leicester is a daunting prospect for Pellegrini, but the Foxes go into the fixture on the back of a 4-0 home defeat to Liverpool.

Pellegrini added: "They are doing very well also but we are just in the middle of the season so we can't compare the team that won the title (2015-16) for the team that is playing now."

Robert Snodgrass' 57th-minute opener on Boxing Day appeared to have the Hammers on course for a third away win in four league matches.

But Palace turned it around via goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Jordan Ayew to leave West Ham just a point above the bottom three.

Asked about the significance of the Leicester game, Pellegrini said: "It's very important because I think our away performances are not bad but our home performances are very bad.

"You cannot have one point from the last 15 so when we have these two games I hope we can start to win again this season at home."