Alan Pardew hails Jason Puncheon's performance against Arsenal

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has heaped praise on winger Jason Puncheon, describing him as the best player on the pitch against Arsenal on Saturday.

The Gunners claimed a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park thanks to goals from Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud, but Pardew singled out Puncheon for praise.

He told reporters: "No-one on the pitch was better than Puncheon. He pulled the strings and asked questions. There's an old London term called a baller. And he's a baller. He'll play anywhere Punch, because he can handle the ball.

"Just from where I was standing and the role he had, I thought he was the best player on the pitch. And that takes some doing against Arsenal. Then there is [Yannick] Bolasie. We had that individual ability in the group. I genuinely believe it is a hard call for us to get beaten by this team."

Palace next face West Ham United on Saturday.