Two sides level on points in the Premier League table meet at Selhurst Park on Monday night when Crystal Palace host Burnley.
Both teams have enjoyed impressive campaigns and will now have their sights set on a top-half finish and possibly even European qualification.
Match preview
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Roy Hodgson will be demanding a response from his Palace side following their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool last time out, although he will also recognise that losing heavily at the home of the champions is nothing to be too ashamed of in an otherwise stellar campaign.
A best-ever Premier League finish of ninth or above and a club-record points tally in the Premier League era are both realistic targets for the remainder of the campaign, with Palace currently seven points adrift of the latter mark.
The Eagles have already set new standards at times this season, winning four successive top-flight games without conceding for the first time in their history prior to their defeat at Anfield.
That was a vast improvement on a spell where Palace won one of 12 across all competitions prior to that, and they go into Monday night's match having won their last two home games - their first back-to-back triumphs at Selhurst Park all season.
Palace have not won three successive top-flight home games since May 2018, though, while they have also scored fewer goals on their own patch than any other team in the division, netting just 12 times in 15 games.
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That does not bode well heading into a match against a team that has kept 12 clean sheets this season - a tally only Liverpool can beat.
The most recent of those came in a 1-0 triumph over Watford on Thursday, which was a welcome return to winning ways after a testing week both on and off the pitch.
The shame of a 'White Lives Matter' banner being flown over the Etihad Stadium was compounded by the team then being thrashed 5-0 by Manchester City, while rumours of a fallout between Sean Dyche and chairman Mike Garlick have led to questions over the manager's long-term future.
Dyche bristled when questioned over that and there is no doubt that he will prefer his side to do their talking on the pitch as the Clarets look to extend a run which has seen them lose just one of their last nine league games.
Indeed, only the top two of Liverpool and Man City have won more top-flight matches than Burnley so far in 2020, with two of those victories coming on the road.
Crystal Palace Premier League form: LWWWWL
Burnley Premier League form: WWDDLW
Team News
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Crystal Palace will assess the fitness of Wilfried Zaha in the buildup to this match after he limped off early against Liverpool.
Vicente Guaita and Christian Benteke missed the trip to Anfield entirely and remain doubtful for this match too, which is likely to mean another start for Wayne Hennessey.
Martin Kelly, James Tomkins and Jeffrey Schlupp are also still sidelined and will miss this match.
Burnley also have injury concerns, with Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood and Johann Berg Gudmundsson absent once again for Monday's contest.
Robbie Brady missed the win over Watford due to a groin injury and will be checked in the buildup to this match, while match-winner Jay Rodriguez was taken off as a precaution due to an ankle problem.
Dwight McNeil set up that goal for his sixth assist of the season, the most of any Burnley player and already more than he registered throughout the whole of last term.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Hennessey; Ward, Cahill, Sakho, Van Aanholt; Townsend, Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur, Meyer; Ayew
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Brownhill, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Rodriguez, Vydra
We say: Crystal Palace 1-0 Burnley
This is likely to be a tight, low-scoring affair between two teams with nothing separating them in the standings, and it could go either way. However, we are backing Palace to return to winning ways by just about edging this contest.
