Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur reckons the Alan Pardew influence is all about his big club mentality.

The Scottish international starred in the Eagles’ 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, a three points that lifted them out of the dropzone in Pardew’s first Premier League game in charge.

McArthur left Selhurst Park on Saturday with his foot in a boot to protect a suspected fractured foot – however, the injury was not as bad as first feared and the 27-year-old was back in training this week.

It gave him more time to study the new approach of Pardew, and it is an approach he feels suits both club and manager.

He said: “Alan is a very ambitious manager. We’ve been doing OK recently away from home, but he watched the Villa game [0-0], and although he’s happy with the performance, he wants that bit extra.

“He wants to win games, rather than everyone being happy with a point, he wants to push things on.

“That’s good for us as a team. We want to push on and strive to get better and higher up the table.”

He added: “He’s bringing a big club mentality here. The first aim is to stay up, get as many points as we can and as fast as we can.

“But we believe we can win every game and he is the same. It’s a good match for the club and the manager.”

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McArthur admitted there was surprise in the dressing room when Pardew’s name was linked to the vacant position.

“He had a team who are finishing higher up the table, and who were a bigger club – so he boys did not believe it completely,” he said.

“But his arrival shows us what he thinks of the club, what he thinks of the players, and that he believes we can stay up and try to become a bigger club.”