Mid-season report: Crystal Palace

It was always going to be a tough season for Crystal Palace, last season's Championship playoff winners. The two standout players from 2012-13, Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray, were unavailable for the Eagles, the former having returned to new club Manchester United and the latter suffering a serious knee injury in the playoff semi-final against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Over 15 signings were added to the club's books in the close season in a bid to strengthen the side, but the influx of new players had a destabilising effect at the beginning as they needed time to gel.

However, the club has performed admirably of late, and will begin 2014 outside the relegation zone. Australian international Mile Jedinak has been instrumental in the heart of midfield for Crystal Palace, while Marouane Chamakh has scored three goals in his last three games to help the club out of the bottom three. Tony Pulis, brought to the club after Ian Holloway resigned in October, has helped mastermind Palace's revival.

August

Crystal Palace's first game back in the Premier League, away to Tottenham Hotspur, resulted in a 1-0 defeat, as Roberto Soldado scored on his debut.

Six days later, Stoke City inflicted a second defeat in as many games on the Eagles, winning 2-1, while their Capital One Cup campaign was over at the first hurdle, losing to third-tier Bristol City 2-1.

However, the South London team picked up their first three points of the season by defeating Sunderland 3-1.

September

One of the toughest fixtures of any Premier League team took place on September 14, as Palace travelled to Old Trafford to face Premier League champions Manchester United. David Moyes's side won 2-0 thanks to goals from Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.

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This was to be the first of three consecutive 2-0 defeats, as the Eagles lost by the same scoreline against Swansea and away to Southampton.

October

A disastrous month for Crystal Palace, October saw three Premier League fixtures all end in defeats, as well as the resignation of charismatic manager Ian Holloway.

Liverpool defeated the Eagles 3-1, as Luis Suarez played at Anfield for the first time since April, while Fulham, themselves struggling, won 4-1 at Selhurst Park.

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After Holloway's departure, caretaker manager Keith Millen saw his side defeated 2-0 at home by Arsenal and fall to the bottom of the Premier League table.

November

Palace's game against West Bromwich Albion resulted in a 2-0 defeat, the seventh consecutive loss of the season for the Eagles keeping them entrenched in 20th place.

However, the sequence was halted thanks to a goalless draw against Everton, which saw the Eagles pick up their first point since August, while things would get even better two weeks later as Hull were beaten at home thanks to Barry Bannan's close-range goal, Millen's last game as caretaker following the appointment of Tony Pulis.

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In Pulis's first game in charge, Gary Hooper's goal on the half-hour ensured Norwich would beat Palace.

December

Things would get better for the Eagles in December as they beat West Ham 1-0 and Cardiff City 2-0 to bring them closer to safety. Marouane Chamakh grabbed goals in both games.

The Eagles then travelled to Stamford Bridge, where Jose Mourinho's Chelsea were made to work hard to win 2-1 after a great second-half display by goalkeeper Petr Cech.

A 3-0 defeat at home to Newcastle seemed to suggest that Palace weren't quite experiencing a renaissance, but on Boxing Day, they did manage to seize all three points away at Aston Villa and move out of the relegation zone.

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The final game of the year, another difficult fixture away at Manchester City, finished 1-0 to the 2012 champions.

Far from relegation certainties, Palace are certainly giving it their best shot, but it will be a difficult second half of the season as tiredness and injuries take their toll. However, if they can maintain consistency and Chamakh keeps scoring, they may well escape the drop come May.