Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has rejected suggestions that his side lack quality players following a slow start to the season.
The Eagles have picked only one win in their last eight games, scoring four goals.
They will make a short journey to the London Stadium on Saturday to face another rivals West Ham United who are also struggling to beat the drop.
"I haven't said that we lack quality, and I don’t think we lack quality but I will accept the criticism that we haven’t been as good at converting some of the chances we have created," Hodgson said at a pre-match conference as quoted by Football.London.
"I don't believe that we lack quality, and now with Connor Wickham coming back to fitness, with Jordan Ayew playing well, in my opinion, and Alexander Sorloth getting better all the time, and with Christian Benteke not that far away.
"I don’t know that it is right to complain about a paucity of talent or ability in the forward areas, but of course I cannot deny that if people want to use not only statistics, but the evidence of their own eyes, to say that for the number of chances we have created we haven't scored enough goals, then those people are saying what we are saying amongst ourselves.
"But the bottom line is that in football, if you did take every chance that you created, it would be a very different world. I am always conscious when I talk that there are so many other in similar situations who are probably saying the same things and giving the same answers.
"The bottom line is league positions are important, and the number of points you get is important, because at the end of the season that will decide your fate but I repeat, it is the end of the season and I refuse to ever accept that you will get to the end of the season in a good position without some good performances along the way, and having done some good things along the way.
"It is never going to be purely down to luck, it has to be down to performances. Our performance on Tuesday didn’t satisfy us, but others have and I am pretty sure the performance on Saturday will satisfy me, because I know the players will be desperate to give a good performance on Saturday," he added.
Ayew, who has made nine appearances this term, was an unused substitute in Palace's last two games.
