Bilic calls on midfield ace to step out of Payet’s shadow

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Slaven Bilic has urged Manuel Lanzini to emerge from the shadow of Dimitri Payet and become the top man!

That could start today as Manu has the knack of scoring crucial goals against Crystal Palace.

Bikic said: ‘Since I’ve been here we played Palace twice at Selhurst Park.

‘Last year we won 3-1 and this year 1-0. Both of those were really good performances from us.

‘Lanzini has scored three goals against them. He scored in the first game last season, he scored in the 2-2 draw at Upton Park and he scored the winner in the 1-0 game this season.

‘Hopefully he is going to score again.’

He added: ‘It’s going to be a demanding game in every sense. Also it will be a nervous game from both teams, because of what’s at stake.

‘It’s a great opportunity for us to get back on the path in the league that we have shown in the last five or six games.

‘We haven’t got a big squad now left, we just have the players for this game. But we have enough players to put a strong team out and have good players on the bench.

‘It is the team that I am managing. Many times clubs have lost quality players but gained a team.’