Crystal Palace may have produced more memorable performances this season, but few points will have felt as precious as the one they picked up at Vicarage Road in a 1-1 draw on Saturday, moving the South London side six points clear of the relegation zone with just a handful of games remaining.
Indeed, while Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend have been easily amongst the best attacking players outside of the Premier League’s top six this term, it was the Eagles’ ability to keep out Watford that proved crucial at the weekend with centre-back James Tomkins playing a huge part in that.
The 29-year-old was an absolute rock at the heart of defence, making more than twice the number of clearances as any other player on the pitch and ranking second throughout both teams for aerial duels won, while recording two tackles and one interception.
In fact, it was actually the former England U21 who came closest to scoring for Palace, his header from a Yohan Cabaye corner hitting the post before bouncing back out, capping off an immense performance from Tomkins who has been one of the most dependable players amid a relegation-threatened season at Selhurst Park.
Is Tomkins your player of the season, Eagles fans? Let us know by voting below…
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