James Collins expects Crystal Palace "battle"

West Ham United defender James Collins has claimed that his side are in for a "battle" when they travel to Crystal Palace in the Premier League tonight.

The Hammers make the short trip to Selhurst Park on the back of Saturday's 3-0 win at home to fellow strugglers Fulham.

Collins believes that relegation rivals Palace will provide tough opposition under new manager Tony Pulis when the teams meet in South London.

"We got a clean sheet on Saturday, but it'll be a different game on Tuesday," he told the club's official website.

"We'll have to roll our sleeves up against a Tony Pulis team, because you know what you're going to get, but we both like a battle and we're looking forward to it."

West Ham are currently three points clear of the relegation zone, while Palace sit six points adrift of safety.