"I thought Chelsea were looking good before the break, and they’ve continued that," Hodgson said. "We’ve been a bit unlucky in the sense that we got ourselves in a good position, but in this tight period we’re playing against a lot of top teams."
It was Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic who scored the goals in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, and Hodgson is fully aware of Frank Lampard's side's attributes.
The manager added: "[Chelsea are] a very, very good team with many, many good players and, irrespective of our own position in this moment in time, all we can do is prepare for it, get ready for it and look forward to it – I do look forward to it, and I know all the players are looking forward to the game.
Hodgson's Eagles are famed for their impressive and resolute performances against the high-flyers in the league, and tomorrow night Palace will be looking to do the same, with Hodgson adding: "I know we will do our best, work very hard and make life as difficult for them as possible. But we 100% aware of all the challenges, with the quality that they have, that they're going to present us."
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