Jesse Marsch believes his Leeds United side picked up a 'really big point' against Crystal Palace in their battle to avoid relegation on Monday night.
The stalemate at Selhurst Park made it five games unbeaten under the American, while the Whites also stretched their lead over 18th-placed Everton, who have played one game fewer, to five points.
With their next three games coming against top-four sides in the shape of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, Marsch saluted his side’s mentality as they managed to pick up a vital point in the capital with a battling performance.
MICHAEL BALL: Seamus Coleman must organise Everton team meeting and send six word message
READ MORE: What Everton fans did after derby defeat as Frank Lampard's Anfield prediction comes true
He said: “I think it’s a really big point. It gets us closer to our ultimate goal. If you’d said to me five games ago that in the next five games you’d pick up 11 points, I’d have signed on the dotted line.
“We still have a lot of things to work on. The result is big. Every point is important, performance not our best but defensively very stable. Second clean sheet in a row, five games unbeaten.
“We just have to take the positives away. It wasn’t so easy with 16 days to keep match sharpness and that showed a little bit but the mentality of the group and the ability of the team to fight for every inch on the pitch I think really helped us earn the point.”
Leeds face current Premier League leaders City at Elland Road on Saturday, while Everton play host Chelsea at Goodison Park the following day. And Marsch knows his side are in for a tough game against Pep Guardiola's men.
“Now comes to Elland Road, for me, the best team in the world,” he said. “One of my teams this season has already played against Man City and I know what a challenge that game is.
“I know how difficult it is to limit their best players. We will have to be incredibly effective and clear with how we want to play against the ball and then we will have to find ways with the ball to try and control the ball a little more.”
