Crystal Palace have a 'moral obligation' to keep fighting despite achieving safety, says Roy Hodgson

Moral obligation: Crystal Palace will not be letting their standards slip on Roy Hodgson's watch
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George Flood29 April 2019

Crystal Palace may have already sealed their Premier League status for another season, but any fears that they may be tempted to take their foot off the gas and therefore adversely impact those still battling against the drop have been dispelled by manager Roy Hodgson.

The Eagles currently sit 12th and 12 points clear of the bottom three having secured their safety with three matches to spare with an impressive win at Arsenal last weekend, though played out a drab goalless draw against an Everton team still chasing a potential Europa League spot on Saturday.

A trip to face struggling Cardiff City is next on the agenda for Palace, with Neil Warnock's side desperate for a victory that - with rivals Brighton travelling to Arsenal before a final-day clash with Manchester City - could see them take the fight against an immediate return to the Championship down to the last weekend.

In Pictures | Crystal Palace vs Everton | 27/04/2019

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Hodgson could be forgiven for already having one eye on plans for the summer transfer window and 2019-20 campaign, yet the 71-year-old believes the club have a moral obligation to keep battling at a high level until the end of the season.

“I don’t think it was played out as a so-called end of season game, either from our side or Everton’s — that is the way Premier League football is,” Hodgson told The Times.

“Showing some sort of respect, if you like, for the league and for the other teams in the league who may be in a different position to you . . . a duty of care might be putting it a bit strongly but I do think there is some sort of moral obligation to keep playing, keep doing the job as it should be done.”

With two rounds of fixtures remaining, Cardiff currently trail 17th-place Brighton by four points following a potentially pivotal loss to relegated Fulham that was followed by the Seagulls claiming a late point against Newcastle thanks to Pascal Gross' equaliser.

Southampton secured their own safety over the weekend with a memorable 3-3 draw against south-coast rivals Bournemouth that moved them seven points clear of danger.

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