As Watford prepare for their trip to Selhurst Park in order to face Alan Pardew's Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, manager Quique Sanchez Flores has had his say on the upcoming game, choosing not to read into the Eagles' run of bad form in the Premier League.
Instead, the Spaniard spoke of his "respect" for Palace, and suggested that Pardew's side had made an impression on him when the two sides met back in September. Then, a Yohan Cabaye penalty was enough to separate the two sides as Palace came away from Vicarage Road with a 1-0 win and all three points.
A dip in form
Since then, Palace have experienced joy beyond their wildest expectations in mixing it amongst the European places, before a poor run of form - which has seen them win just once in eight Premier League games - saw the Eagles fall to 12th place. Incredibly, they are now one point behind Watford in the league table.
Watford have fared better, but only perhaps through a lack of expectation. Collecting just five points from the same time span as Palace's bad run, the Hornets have struggled to hit the heights of early in this campaign. They still sit 10th in the league table however - a position that the fans would have jumped at if you would have offered it pre-season.
Flores was quick to forget about Palace's bad run of form, suggesting that they are "now in a bad run, like [Watford]", but that the Eagles have "very good players". Ultimately, the Spaniard was - as always - effusive in his praise, suggesting that his team would have a lot of "respect" for Palace when the sides meet on Saturday.
More than meets the eye
The Watford boss was questioned about his own side's bad run of results since Christmas, but was quick to point out that there is a bigger picture, suggesting that in "maybe two or three of the last eight matches", Watford "deserved to win", but ended up losing or drawing, and that during that period the Hornets played some tough teams - such as Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Flores was adament that his side are "positive" and that they "always believe" they can win a game, no matter who the opponent. Despite this, the Spaniard pointed towards the future, highlighting the fact that it is only Watford's "first year" in the top flight and that they are "building a team".
Ultimately though, the Hornets will fancy their chances on Saturday afternoon, and Flores insists his side are remaining "calm and confident". With both teams out of form it's a difficult one to call, but expect a fiery, competitive affair when these two walk out on the pitch at Selhurst Park.