Lewis expecting tough test from Palace visit | OneFootball

Rico Lewis has an extraordinary record against Crystal Palace but he’s expecting another tough encounter when they come to the Etihad Stadium.

City face the in-form Eagles at 12:30 (UK) on Saturday looking to secure a crucial three points in our hunt for a qualification spot for next season’s Champions League.

The 20-year-old has three goals in the Premier League – all against Palace, including in the earlier season when we drew 2-2 at Selhurst Park.

Lewis also picked up a controversial red card in the same game as we settled for a point against a side that we could yet face again in an FA Cup final if both teams win Wembley semis.

“We know how strong they are, the individual players they have got and as a team they are really strong,” the defenders said.

“Especially now they have some good form, they have got to Wembley and have a chance of reaching the final.

“Their spirits will be high, but ours are just as high. We know our goals and we have targets that we want to hit now.”

CITY V CRYSTAL PALACE | MATCH PREVIEW

Oliver Glasner has built a strong side in south London and Lewis says the strength of the Premier League is getting better with so many sides full of talented players.

“I think the whole Premier League, the standard has gone right up and that makes it harder,” he added.

“In terms of the middle section of the table, it is so difficult to go away or even at home and beat a team.

“No one in the Premier League is easy to beat and especially this season the level of teams in general and how everyone wants to play has definitely gone up.”

WATCH: Memorable moments: City v Crystal Palace

While hopes of a fifth successive Premier League title are gone, there is still plenty for City to play for with seven league games remaining.

And the Bury-born defender says the squad have shown plenty of character to maintain a challenge for silverware and the fight for the top-five.

“Obviously it is not easy going from the four Premier Leagues we have won in a row to then not winning the Premier League or where we want to be as a team,” he said.

“I think in other circumstances in other clubs it could have spiralled even further out of control and I think we have shown quite good character to stay stable at the lowest points of the season and try to rebuild ourselves back up to qualifying for the Champions League, which is our main goal, and making the semi-final of the FA Cup.

“When you look at it like that, you achieve these goals and carry on building each other up as a team, then at the end of the season we can look at what we did wrong and work on it.

“Even though there are people in the dressing room that have been in title races, there are not many that have been in situations like this where it has been up and down, so it is credit to them who have adapted to that as well.

“The opportunities we have got now have brought us together as a group and we have got that passion and desire to get to another final, get into the top four and then you look at it at the end of the season and say ‘even though we weren’t where we want to be we have ended up with a trophy and we’re in the Champions League next year’.”