Australia midfielder shone for the Eagles despite being on the losing side.
After an impressive Premier League debut against Tottenham last Sunday the high standards for Mile Jedinak to meet every week are now well and truly fixed.
And the Crystal Palace skipper didn’t disappoint with another efficient display in the heart of the Eagles midfield, as he was once again unfortunate to end up on the losing side after Ian Holloway’s men sacrificed a one-goal lead in a 2-1 defeat at Stoke on Saturday.
In a similar vein to last week Jedinak was Palace’s most influential player by a good distance at the Britannia Stadium and exemplified his role as their midfield pivot with an 81% pass success rate (48/59), better than any other player, with a majority come from the middle-defensive area of the pitch, although more went back than forward which is something he’ll need to improve on as the season progresses.
While the 29-year-old excelled in keeping play ticking over for Palace he also formed another protective shield in front of the back four, alongside Kagisho Dikgacoi, and was successful in 60% of his tackles (3/5), made two interceptions, recovered seven balls and completed the highest percentage of aerial duels (9/14), edging out Peter Crouch in that area.
His contribution in the defensive third was epitomised by attaining a 100% mark for cleared balls (14/14), level with centre-back team-mate Damien Delaney, making eight of those with his head and enforcing his position as the Eagles’ leader of men.
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