At home and elsewhere: how the civil war holds the Crystal Palace

"Selhurst Park is always difficult, not just because of the stadium, but the quality of the players that they have in every department," Pep Guardiola said last month. Manchester City certainly had easier matches, but led for 75 minutes, had 20 shots and twice as much effort on goal as their hosts en route to a 3-1 win.

It's a common trope: this little corner of Croydon is "a tough place to go." That Guardiola, who succeeded in the camp of Nou, Bernabeu, Westfalenstadion, Kazan and Kiev, should see the trip with a weird concern.

For such a repeated claim, it is hardly supported by tangible evidence. Huddersfield are the only team to have both less points (8) and fewer goals (9) than Palace (17 and 14 respectively) at home in the Premier League this season. Terriers, Fulham by Claudio Ranieri, Leicester by Claude Puel and Burnley, in the middle of the collapse, are the only ones to be defeated at Selhurst Park this season.

And so at Saturday's win over Cardiff, their ninth on the road. This puts them at the level of Manchester United and Chelsea in terms of away wins and points (31), and above them in goal difference. Only Tottenham (33) and Manchester City (34) scored more (32). They are contenders to the Champions League, but championship players at home.

This is the sweet and sour pill that Roy Hodgson will have to swallow after a season of progress. Palace has already achieved its second highest Premier League point total of 38 games to date, but the ongoing civil war at Selhurst Park has unnecessarily capped its success.

The situation with club supporters has grown this season. Hundreds of spectators are displaced from Block E of the Holmesdale Low Stand – behind one of the goals – to give way to the eponymous fanatics. The group, which had already been sitting near the corner in Block B, saw its demand for a more central vocal section rejected by the club in September because of stiff opposition, but its wishes will be granted next season.

This is done to the detriment of many disgruntled supporters, many of whom will be displaced from the seats they occupied since the stand was built 25 years ago.

Palace did its best to appease all parties. Holmesdale fanatics have the move they want, the fans concerned will receive a discount on season tickets, among others, and the atmosphere will definitely improve.

If the results follow is another matter, not that Hodgson was particularly concerned in August. "We have 24,500 people who come to see us play and I think they all have the same desire to be part of the team," he said. "If a small group of people is for some reason in conflict with the club, I hope it will be resolved in the best way possible.

"But it will not affect me, it will not affect the team and it will certainly not affect the atmosphere, because, as I said, we have 24,000 people who create the atmosphere and not just a particular. group."

It's a good feeling, but the results show the truth: Palace just behaves better at home when it's backed by fanatics.

The next step will be to retain the core of this team once again. Wilfried Zaha scored one and created another in South Wales. Andros Townsend created five chances and converted the third goal to relegate Cardiff. Luka Milivojevic continued his good season and any part of the palace in which Aaron Wan-Bissaka is not the star player is a collector's item.

Hodgson has the qualities of a good side and is himself a good manager. There are frustrating inconsistencies – the last time they recorded consecutive league results was when they continued their defeat against Watford by losing to Liverpool in January. But the foundations are there.

The same is true of these familiar faults. Palace has never really suffered from the high-flying travel sicknessbut they let themselves go to the discomfort of their homes for too long. The pieces are in place to make Selhurst Park a difficult place to go yet.

Matt Stead