Jordan Ayew has started to perform, Connor Wickham and Christian Benteke have returned to fitness and Bakary Sako recently rejoined the club, meaning the Eagles now have multiple attacking options.

McArthur said: "We always believed that we could get results with anybody out.

"It was a thing from the outside that became really big. Obviously with the games he was out, there were hard matches in there against the big teams as well. He is obviously a big miss.

"He took his goal really well. He was a threat all night long. It is just unfortunate that he has been sent off.

"He is one of our best players in the team and we will miss him. But we have got players in the squad that hopefully are ready to go and take their chance.

"It is a blow when you lose your top players. But it is a game we look forward to and we go in with confidence that we can get a result.

"(Wickham and Benteke) are obviously going to be big players for us. They are great players and Jordan was excellent up front (against Southampton) as well, he works so hard. Everyone is going to need to try and step up their game to try and push up that table."

It was James Ward-Prowse, with his third goal in three Premier League fixtures, who again scored for Southampton to secure their latest point as they continued to build momentum in their battle against relegation.

After impressing when first establishing himself under Mauricio Pochettino in 2014 his career had stagnated, but at 24 and under Ralph Hasenhuttl he is rediscovering his potential, and fellow club trainee Matt Targett told their official website: "He's on fire at the moment, which is good.

"He's worked very hard since the manager's come in and he's put new life into him. Long may it continue.

"It was a new opportunity for everyone when the manager came in, and to be fair to him he's taken his chance very well.

"It was a massive point in the end. Palace made it difficult for us and we had to work hard for it."

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