Crystal Palace’s Back of the Nest podcast (February 23, 35:09) have praised James McArthur’s performance against Newcastle United, due to how tired he appeared before the game.

What’s the word?

Palace won 1-0 on Saturday, their first victory in seven games, climbing to 13th in the Premier League table, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

McArthur has played in all but one of the club’s league games this season and played a key role in the game against Steve Bruce’s side, earning a WhoScored rating of 7.6 for his performance, lower than just two of his team-mates.

And regular contributor Chris hailed his performance on the podcast.

He said: “We've looked really tired for a while. And you know, a large part of that is because our squad is thin, we've had a lot of injuries.

“And so, and also the way that Roy tends to rely on the same players rather than, you know, rotating members of the squad means that players inevitably get tired.

“People like James McArthur in particular have looked very, very tired of late, and he really looked so much brighter.”

Calling all Eagles fans: Can you get 90% on this quickfire Palace quiz?

A virtuoso performance

McArthur really was excellent for Palace at the weekend.

Per WhoScored, the 32-year-old had 59 touches of the ball, laying on one key pass, completing three dribbles and also making three tackles, along with a game-high five interceptions.

It is remarkably impressive for a player who is used so regularly by Hodgson and speaks to his ability to hold the years back despite the advancement of his career.

His display was integral to his side’s victory and has gone a long way to ensuring they are unlikely to be in severe relegation trouble this season.

Meanwhile, one Crystal Palace decision was entirely vindicated at the weekend!