Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said that he has "a lot of respect" for Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace ahead of the two sides' encounter at the Etihad on Saturday.
The Eagles have made the worst start to a top-flight season in English football history, having lost their first five games without scoring a single goal.
Former England manager Roy Hodgson replaced Frank de Boer as Palace manager last week but failed to deliver an instant uplift as they were defeated 1-0 by Southampton at Selhurst Park.
City, meanwhile, are top of the table and have won their last three games in all competitions by an aggregate 15-0 scoreline, but Guardiola insists that a victory against Hodgson's charges is not a done deal.
"I have a lot of respect for what I saw from Palace against Southampton and Burnley," he told reporters this afternoon. "They created a lot of chances. I showed to my players all the chances they created, in just two games. They will put a lot of long balls into the box and crosses.
"They have quality now, they are quite similar to West Brom. My players need to know they can lose tomorrow.
"I admire Roy Hodgson, he has had a long career and that always deserves respect. I love the energy that he has and he has experience all over Europe."
Palace's trip to City kickstarts a tough run of fixtures that will then see them go on to face Manchester United and Chelsea.
Neil Wilkes
