Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has refused to play down the importance of Saturday's "key" Premier League match at home to Norwich City.

The Eagles are currently on a 14-game winless run in the league, which has seen them drop into 16th position in the table, just one spot and three points above Norwich.

Palace will face Watford in the semi-finals of the FA Cup later this month, however, and Pardew has insisted that "it could still be a great season" for the capital club, providing that they end their poor form in the league.

"It could still be a great season for us, but we need to get some points in the league to help that," Pardew told reporters.

"It's a key game [on Saturday] because it's against a team who are only three points behind us and they've won two games. Our fans are going to be really up for this game. Those I've bumped into during the week are really fired up.

"The home form has been a disappointment for me. Some of our performances have been terrific, but a bit of fortune here and there would have made a big difference to that. We want to keep our home fans happy. Too many times we've come off that pitch after a last-minute goal or an individual mistake."

Palace, who drew 2-2 at West Ham United last weekend, have lost 10 of their 16 home league games this season - the same number as basement side Aston Villa.