Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson is hoping 38 points will be enough for Premier League survival this season.

The Eagles sit on 35 points - the same as Huddersfield Town - but have just three matches to play, rather than the Terriers' four.

And the former England boss is hoping an unbeaten run of three matches will see his side book a fifth consecutive season in the top flight of English football.

Should that be proven true, just one more win would see Town also maintain their Premier League status, with the Terriers hosting Everton this weekend.

On the run-in - and Palace's dramatic revival under his leadership - Hodgson told Football.London : "Expectations are dangerous – the moment you start expecting in this business is the moment you are let down.

"We've worked bloody hard to get where we are and we've hauled ourselves out of a desperate situation.

"Not long after I arrived, we were eight points adrift of the team one place above us in the relegation zone and you wondered how we were going to make up those points.

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"We've suffered an incredible injury crisis, we've suffered more than our share of misfortune, but now we've got to make sure nothing happens over these last three games that can leave us thinking, 'how on earth did we get so close and allow it to slip from our grasp?'

"It's in our hands, and we've got to stop worrying about how Southampton, Stoke or Huddersfield are doing – we've got to remain unbeaten, which would take us to 38 points, and that might be enough."

He added: "It would be a massive mistake if we started to relax now – until we've reached at least 38 points we shouldn't even consider it.

"We've got three more big opportunities to get the points we need, so we need to get our heads straight, our minds right and make sure there is no repeat of the first 45 minutes against Watford because that could cost us very dearly.

"I'm hoping this game could prove useful in that respect because it reminds us – players, staff, everybody – that the minute you take your foot off the gas, you can lose matches in this league."