Palace star Joe Ledley paid tribute to Liverpool ahead of their clash in the FA Cup fifth round.

Following their 1-1 draw with Newcastle, Ledley praised the Liverpool side and their quality in attack.

The Welsh international described the Merseyside club as a fantastic team and acknowledged that it would be a very difficult game for The Eagles.

He said: "I watched them yesterday and they were fantastic.

"They started slow and now they've picked up their form it's going to be a very difficult game.

"They've found their form and they're playing some great football as well, we need to be on our game and we need to go out their and take positives like we have done."

Ledley also paid tribute to Daniel Sturridge who he feels has given Liverpool another dimension since his return.

"I think it gives them an opportunity to go over the top a bit more and use his pace.

"He's got fantastic pace and he's been a big miss for them at the beginning of the season, since he's come back they've started to pick up points.

"So we know it's going to be very difficult and hopefully we'll have a full squad and so will they so it will be a battle."

One thing Palace fans can take heart from is their great record against Liverpool at Selhurst Park.

Palace haven't lost in their last six home meetings against Liverpool and beat The Reds 3-1 in their last game in November, in which Ledley scored one of the goals.

He said: "It was a great result, 3-1 at home is massive and from there we knew we should be doing better in the league and we kicked on and hopefully we can do the same.

"They haven't done too well here but they're a fantastic team, they've got great players and we need to be on our game to perform and hopefully we can do that."

Although he felt that they could have won the game, Ledley was pleased by gaining a point against Newcastle which he feels could be vital at the end of the season.

He said: "That point could be vital in the end, we could've gone out there and lost, hopefully that point is going to be big for us.

"They didn't really threaten us that much and then there was a little bit of a switch off and that's what a good team does, get a goal like that and it made it hard for us.

"From there we kicked on a bit in the second half and on another day, Brede's goal would have gone in and we'd have won the game but it's a big point, we didn't want to come here and lose the game at home."

Ledley also praised the impact of Yannick Bolasie in his first appearance since playing in The African Cup of Nations.

"It was a great goal, great from Yala and a great finish from Fraize.

"He only got back yesterday and you can't start a player who's been travelling from that far away but when he came on he delivered.

"It was a fantastic ball and a great assist and obviously it's great when Fraize can get on the end of things like that.

"That could be a big point for us."