Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino was pleased with the result and the performance of his players during their 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.
Spurs had left it late to get the winner when Harry Kane headed the winner with a couple of minutes left to play to send the White Hart Lane club into fourth in the Premier League table.
The Tottenham manager had to make a few last-minute changes to his side on Saturday when he received news that Jan Vertonghen had suffered a knock during a training session.
Pochettino had chosen to utilise Eric Dier in the centre of defence alongside Davinson Sanchez and after the game told of his delight at how the England international performed.
“The two centre-backs were fantastic with their defensive line,” he told the club’s official website.
“Hugo (Lloris) as well of course, and a clean sheet against a very difficult team like Palace is a reason to praise the team so I’m very happy.
“I was very pleased because Eric is a player that can play in different positions and it doesn’t affect his performance. Today we played him and Davinson and they were fantastic.”
Dier has been at White Hart Lane since 2014 after joining from Sporting CP and has been a regular in the Tottenham side ever since.
He has attracted some critics in his time from Spurs fans, however, his performances have improved and the midfielder is looking ahead to this summer’s World Cup tournament in Russia, where he holds hopes of leading England out onto the pitch as captain.
Dier is clearly a Pochettino favourite and a player that the Tottenham boss trusts.
While his best position is now in central midfield, Dier’s ability to slot in at centre-half and put in a solid performance, like he did against Palace, is another asset for Spurs.