Jason Puncheon is relishing Crystal Palace’s horror fixture list.

The Eagles are bottom of the Premier League after losing their opening five games.

And it does not get any easier for new boss Roy Hodgson, who next faces the current top four Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle.

But Palace are used to pulling off upsets - they looked doomed last season before beating Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

And skipper Puncheon insists the Premier League strugglers will be unfazed against the big boys this year.

Puncheon, 31, said: “We like playing against the top teams - I don’t know why.

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“But the Premier League is always about three points no matter who you are playing and we’ll just keep our heads up.

“We go into every game trying to win it and I don’t think we will ever set our sights not to.

“People say ‘they are the top teams’ so obviously the odds are in the top teams’ favour. But we are more than strong enough characters to deal with it.

“This group of players, it will never be for a lack of effort. We will always keep trying, we will always go down fighting.”