Stoke City manager Mark Hughes believes there is more to come from his side. They are 10th in the table, and will move into ninth if they beat West Ham at Upton Park.

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"People talk about a glass ceiling and I think we've still got head room in that regard," said Hughes.

"I think we can still push on. We're very hopeful of being in the top 10 again this year so that's two years consecutively in the top 10. We want to keep on being able to do that with a little bit more comfort so as we're not looking over our shoulders with teams that have the same aspirations as us.

"We all feel that there is more to come so that's the challenge and that's the excitement that everybody feels here."

West Ham are ninth in the Premier League and boss Sam Allardyce believes he has done everything he can to stay at Upton Park.

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The 60-year-old is out of contract in the summer, leading to speculation over his long-term future at the east London club, who are set for a move to the Olympic Stadium for the 2016-2017 campaign.

"I sit at this seat and do this job the best I can," he said. "Have I delivered what I have been asked to deliver? Yes. Would I do anything different? Yes, as we can all do something different.

"Have we grown the club and built expectation? Yes. Have we got as better team? Yes. And is it younger? Yes. Does it create more entertainment? Yes.

"You have to keep a cool head and my line, from a very young age, has always been that the manager's job is to manage the madness."

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Palace are on target to have the best ever second half of a Premier League season in comparison to the first 19 games (since the division went to 20 teams).

They picked up 16 points from the first 19 games (only Leicester had fewer). Since Alan Pardew took over on 3 January, they have 23 points from 12 games.

On current form, they will pick up 36 points in the second half of the season. That 20-point boost would be better than Leeds' record from 2000-01.

In fact, Palace would be fifth in the Premier League if the season started when Pardew was appointed.

Sunderland fans have certainly not forgotten about Jermain Defoe's sensational volley as they beat fierce rivals Newcastle 1-0 last week, but Black Cats boss Dick Advocaat has. Sort of.

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"We have to not think about Newcastle any more and I've told the players that," said Advocaat, whose side end the season with away matches at Arsenal and Chelsea in their last two games.

But the Dutchman wants Premier League safety secured quickly. He added: "We have in principle five games in which we have to do it.

"There are many, many good teams in this league. What I have seen is if everybody works hard then we can become successful. Hopefully we still have enough time to achieve that."

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We're asking you to sum up your season so far in a picture made up of 'emoticons'. Get involved using #bbcfootball, external on Twitter, and we'll publish the best ones here.

Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood has revealed that he is still in touch with Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

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Kane has scored 19 Premier League goals this season and is joint top-scorer with Diego Costa, with Sherwood having given him his first Spurs top flight start while head coach last season.

"I have communicated with him since I've left, just to wish him well when he's played for England and congratulate him on his call-ups," Sherwood said. "The boys have come through from very young ages. I know them as footballers better than their dads know them."

So Roberto Martinez takes on his former side as Everton travel to Swansea. There is another reunion coming at White Hart Lane as Tim Sherwood, now in charge at Aston Villa, faces a match against Tottenham, his only other job in management.

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And Sherwood has been very keen to remind us all of the job he did at Spurs.

"I knew it would be a tough job at Tottenham and it proved that," he said. "But I was very successful, both as a development coach and as a manager.

"Mauricio Pochettino took over a really good situation there. We finished on par with where we should have finished. To be able to inherit a group of players of that quality and then have the benefit to strengthen - it was the dream job."

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They say a picture's worth a thousand words.

Well we want you to sum up your season so far in a picture made up of 'emoticons', just like Andy Murray's, external done here with the story of his wedding day.

He gets married to Kim Sears today if you've not been following these sorts of things.

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Get involved using #bbcfootball, external on Twitter, and we'll publish the best ones here.

However, Hull are also without a win in five games but manager Steve Bruce has called on his side to start producing some "crazy results".

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"The way it's gone all season I wouldn't be surprised if it goes right down to the wire," says Bruce. "Last week people were saying QPR and Leicester were gone but all of a sudden they've produced a result and they're back in it again.

"We have just witnessed over the last week all sorts of crazy results can happen and we need to make sure we get one or two of those, that's for sure.

"We've proved this year that we're capable but we're under no illusions how difficult it is going to be. It is all to play for and it is another big weekend but we have been saying that for the best part of four months."

Hull City are the side immediately above the relegation zone. They well be encouraged by these facts as they take on an out-of-form Southampton.

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Burnley could move out of the bottom three if they win at home against Arsenal today.

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Clarets manager Sean Dyche will be taking his place in the home dugout. But may not have been there if he hadn't had a chat with now Steve Bould (now the Arsenal assistant boss) eight years ago.

"When we were youth team coaches, I rang Steve and asked if I could have a coffee with him," said Dyche. "We met in a Starbucks and had a chat about players and careers - it was an insight.

"I had half an hour with him talking about football, and what he did. There were some things that he said that stuck with me to this day. And so I will look to use them wisely, maybe against him. Now that would be a twist in the tale."

This week we're teaming up with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you to send in stories and photos of your unusual sporting souvenirs.

Johnny Walker: I have a four-foot diameter sombrero with the word 'Chicarito' that I picked up in 2009 at the Champions League final at Wembley.

Don Robson: A treasured signed mug given to me by the late great Dave Mackay after sharing a few pints after Ayr Races a few years ago.

Giannina Caraceni: My godfather worked with the Italian Olympic organisation and used to give me (really) old gear as gifts. Got one running shoe once.

Get involved using #bbcfootball, external on Twitter, or post on the Match of the Day Facebook page., external

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson remains confident his side can stay in the Premier League.

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"People tell me about other people's run-ins but you will survive or not due to your own results," said Pearson, whose side still has to play relegation rivals Burnley, Sunderland and QPR.

"We have to keep it in our hands for as long as possible and we need to win more games. That's the reality of the situation but we're capable of it.

"We have to play a lot of sides around us. It's nice to have games where we can directly affect their end to the season but the flip side is they will see it the same way."

The match will mark Jeff Astle Day at The Hawthorns as the club pay tribute to their former striker who scored the winning goal in the 1968 FA Cup final against Everton and died of the brain condition CTE in 2002. West Brom will play in a replica Wembley '68 kit.

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Leicester manager Nigel Pearson, whose side are six points behind 17th-placed Hull, is worried that his side will be affected by the party atmosphere.

"It's great West Brom have decided to make an occasion to celebrate Jeff Astle's contribution and raise awareness of these types of head injury issues," said Pearson.

"But for us, unfortunately, we have to recognise we are part of the day but our own plight is the most important thing. What we can't do is get carried away in the occasion."

So Everton are close to safety, but for bottom-placed Leicester that looks a long, long way off. This stat might not raise spirits among those Foxes fans. Sorry.

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This week we're teaming up with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you to send in stories and photos of your unusual sporting souvenirs.

James Walker: Waitressing in Sheffield in 1966, my grandma came across the Brazil squad. Still has the menu signed by Pele.

Get involved using #bbcfootball, external on Twitter, or post on the Match of the Day Facebook page., external

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So Everton boss Roberto Martinez returns to Swansea, his first managerial role in English football, and will go head-to-head with former team-mate Garry Monk.

Both men have played for and managed the Welsh side and Monk believes the club gambled twice in appointing them as managers.

"I think it was a huge risk when you think about it," said Monk. "What Roberto did was to pave the way for someone like myself to get that opportunity.

"The club has a philosophy itself in terms of they want to have a possession base and they want to see nice attacking football."

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Swansea have failed to ever beat Everton in a league game, a run stretching back to 1930 - when Dixie Dean scored twice in a 5-1 win for the Toffees.

The Swans' only ever competitive victory against Everton was in this season's League Cup third round when they won 3-0.

So one more win and Everton fans can relax. They were getting a bit nervous before victories against Newcastle, QPR and Southampton have given them some breathing space.

And manager Roberto Martinez has been delighted with their recent run.

"The focus now is to get a real good momentum in the league - something we haven't been able to achieve this season," said Martinez.

"The maturity in our game and understanding how to win matches comes after a really tough season in which we have learned our lessons and I do feel the group is becoming a lot stronger."