Time to deliver. A home win today will draw Palace back to just two points ahead and possibly could take Cardiff level with WBA if Albion go down at Norwich.
If the opposite happens and Cardiff lose today with Albion winning then I'm afraid no matter how optimistic you are it will be very difficuly to see any hope for City.
Massive match today. With three former City players returning, Joe Ledley, Danny Gabbidon and Cameron Jerome there will be no place for sentiment. Give them a hard time until after the game. If we win they appreciate their former efforts. Remember, their brief today is to try and send us down. Given them hell.
Early team news
Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis is hoping to have Marouane Chamakh available for selection for their Barclays Premier League clash at Cardiff on Saturday.
The Eagles' top goalscorer has been missing for four games with a hamstring problem but returned to training earlier in the week, with Pulis giving the Morocco international every chance of being involved in south Wales.
Fellow striker Dwight Gayle (ankle) is unlikely to return in time but Pulis has no other injury concerns as he looks to build on the 1-0 win over Chelsea last weekend.
Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have winger Craig Noone available for Saturday's Barclays Premier League battle against Crystal Palace.
Noone has missed the last three games because of a groin injury but looks set to feature when Palace arrive in Wales.
Solskjaer could start with the side that drew 3-3 at West Brom last weekend, although Noone and loan signing Wilfried Zaha - who impressed off the bench at The Hawthorns - will push strongly for inclusion.
Match Appointments
Referee: Phil Dowd. Assistants: M Mullarkey, P Bankes. Fourth Official: A Marriner.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Palace won the reverse fixture 2-0 last December, ex-Bluebird Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh with the goals.
- Cardiff are unbeaten in their last nine home games against Palace, winning their last three.
Cardiff
- In 12 league games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, both of Cardiff's wins have come at home against fellow clubs in the bottom six (Norwich and Fulham).
- Cardiff have averaged just 0.67 points per match under Solskjaer, compared to 0.9 per game under previous boss Malky Mackay.
- There have been 27 goals in the last six league games involving the Bluebirds, an average of 4.5 goals per game.
- Cardiff have only led twice at half-time in the Premier League.
- David Marshall has made more saves than any other Premier League goalkeeper this season (127).
Crystal Palace
- Palace's tally of 31 points is their highest after 31 games of a 38-game Premier League season.
- The Eagles are yet to win an away league match in 2014 (D2, L4).
- There have been just five goals in Palace's last six league games: two for Tony Pulis's men, three against.
- Only Norwich (12) have lost more away league games than Palace (11).
- Palace have scored the fewest away goals (six) in the Premier League and have failed to score in five of their last six away matches.
Teams
Cardiff (from): Marshall, Lewis, Turner, Theophile-Catherine, Fabio, John, Caulker, Campbell, Daehli, Medel, Eikrem, Mutch, Noone, Kim, Jones, Cala, Bellamy, Zaha, Taylor, Whittingham, Gunnarsson, Cowie, McNaughton.
Crystal Palace (from): Speroni, Hennessey, Gabbidon, McCarthy, Dann, Mariappa, Ward, Delaney, Ledley, Bannan, O'Keefe, Dikgacoi, Bolasie, Jedinak, Guedioura, Puncheon, Ince, Thomas, Jerome, Chamakh, Murray.