Roy Hodgson has admitted there is "no question" that Crystal Palace are in a relegation battle after their poor run of results continued.
The Eagles travelled to face Arsenal on the back of one win in 11 matches across all competitions, and they were unable to improve on that record as they fell to a heavy 5-0 defeat.
Gabriel gave the Gunners an early lead from a corner and he was involved from a set-piece again before the break, as his header bounced off Dean Henderson for an own goal.
Leandro Trossard effectively sealed victory for Arsenal with a third goal on the hour mark, before Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score twice in stoppage-time and inflict further misery on Palace.
By that point, banners had come up in the away end, as Palace fans voiced their discontent. One read: “Wasted potential on and off the pitch. Weak decisions taking us backwards.”
Palace remain 14th in the Premier League table, just five points clear of the relegation zone. Luton in 18th have played a game fewer, while Nottingham Forest and Brentford will go above the Eagles if they win their games in hand.
In the build-up to the trip to Arsenal, Hodgson insisted his side would not get dragged into a relegation scrap, but he accepted after that defeat that Palace were in a nervy position.
"It is a struggle," the Palace boss told BBC Sport.
"There's no doubt we have to keep looking over our shoulder and we are in a relegation battle, no question about that. I believe the team and club and the group of players we have are more than good enough to get us away from the relegation zone.
"Of course at the start of the season we had hoped we would build on the end of last season."
Pressed in another interview on whether he felt the anger from fans was aimed at him, Hodgson said: "Probably. The manager always take responsibility and the full brunt of it. It makes me feel sad and disappointed of course because I think we are doing the best job we can do.
“But I am a manager of a football club that is not in a good position at the moment. Everything that happens to managers in that position will happen to me."
