'Palace strikers know they must score', says Hodgson

The 'Eagles' have struggled to find their form in the box this season, only scoring five goals in their nine Premier League games so far, which have all come away from home. 

And, if their task was not already tough enough, Palace host high-flyers Arsenal at Selhurst Park this weekend. 

However manager Roy Hodgson has acknowledged that his side need to begin firing, and fast, if they are to kickstart their season once and for all on Sunday. 

Speaking to the press ahead of the match with the 'Gunners', Hodgson said: ""I'm pretty sure that if you spoke to our strikers as a body and you asked that question, 'Is it time for you lads to start stepping up and scoring goals?', of course they'd all say, 'Yeah, absolutely, 100 per cent'."

Hodgson continued: "We are great believers, all of us, and that goes right the way through the club, and in particular the players, in accountability and responsibility. We don't try and shirk responsibility; we don't try and shirk accountability."

The former England manager asserted his belief that Palace will soon turn chances into goals, claiming: "Maybe you're not being adventurous enough and getting the ball in the opposing team's area enough times, in which case the strikers will say, 'The reason I'm not scoring goals is because the ball's not coming'."

He concluded: ""If of course you are getting the ball there and the chances are being missed, that's when you expect your strikers to start looking in the mirror and taking some responsibility and say, 'Well, the chances are coming my way, I'm not putting them in the back of the net'.But in football, there's always opponents in there to stop you; we might not have played the top six but we've played some pretty good sides."

The 'Eagles' will look to end their wretched early season form, when they welcome Arsenal to Selhurst park on Sunday, in the hopes of avoiding another relegation scrap for the remainder of the season.