Crystal Palace defender Danny Gabbidon has claimed that the team's season will be shaped by their next few games.

The Eagles are six points adrift of safety at the bottom of the Premier League table following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Norwich City.

Despite that setback, Gabbidon believes that Palace's fixtures in the next month will define their campaign as they look to avoid relegation.

"We knew there was a cycle of four or five games coming up where we had to pick up some points," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying. "We got a good draw against Everton, a good win at Hull and it would have been nice to get something at Norwich.

"But the next few games are probably going to shape our season and if we can pick up some points it is going to put us back in the mix and give us more chance to stay up.

"We don't want that gap getting too big. These games coming up now, we have got the opportunity to try to do that and close that gap and put ourselves right back in the mix."

Palace continue their battle against the drop tonight when they welcome fellow strugglers West Ham United to Selhurst Park.