Nigel Pearson is confident Watford will remain a Premier League club next season as they prepare to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Watford shocked runaway leaders Liverpool with a 3-0 win last time out as Ismaila Sarr scored a brace before Troy Deeney completed the victory.

The result took Watford out of the relegation zone on goal difference and Pearson wants his side to be as competitive as possible going into the final 10 matches of the season.

"I believe we'll stay up," the Hornets manager said.

"We've worked very hard to get into a competitive situation and we've had some very good performances, some very good days – days where we've not quite been at our best."

Palace currently sit 12th in the Premier League table, nine points above this weekend's opponents Watford after winning their last two league matches.

Pearson knows Saturday's clash will be a tough one and he is looking for a similar performance to the one which ended the unbeaten run of Jurgen Klopp's side.

He added: "What I want us to always do is to be as competitive as we can and have the intent when we go on the field to reproduce our best performance.

"Last week we are able to do it and I thought we played very, very well and got a fabulous win.

"But – straight after that game – the mood in the dressing room and the players were very clear to make the point that, 'these aren't the games that we need (to win)', so their understanding of our situation is pretty clear.

"I like the fact that they're clear that we have to find that level of performance every time that we play.

"The reality of reproducing our best every week is not always easy, but providing I see the right sort of efforts and commitment to do that, I think we've got a really good chance of staying up."

Forward Gerard Deulofeu is expected to miss the rest of the season after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and tore his meniscus during the game against Liverpool.

On the Spain international's injury, Pearson said: "It's disappointing because he's been one of our really good performers.

"He's certainly been a match winner on a number of occasions and will be missed, but our thoughts now are to make sure first are foremost that when he does have his surgery (and) it's successful."