The Eagles have recorded just one home victory so far in 2023/24, but went into Thursday night’s fixture off the back of an eye-catching 2-2 draw away at Premier League champions Manchester City.
Hughes felt the visit of Palace’s arch-rivals to SE25 could inspire a turnaround in that form, telling Premier League Productions: “That massive rivalry is what makes football for the fans. It is everything.
“I've been at other clubs where it means so much, and it is no different here. Obviously, we have to see it as playing for three points, but it does have that extra edge to it and we need to play with that.
“Everyone goes through these moments in the season. We had a strong start to the season and picked up points and then we've gone through a difficult spell of late.
“I think the performance against Liverpool was a bit of a turning point. I think we did well and were unfortunate in the end. Then, against City, to be 2-0 down and draw 2-2 away to them is a big confidence boost mentally. Hopefully we can carry that on for the next few games.”
