Crystal PalaceSport

James Tomkins on his first start in four months and assesses Palace’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal

BY ANDREW MCSTEEN

After picking up an injury in a freak training ground incident which saw him require eye surgery, Crystal Palace defender James Tomkins played his first 90 minutes for four months in the Premier League against Arsenal on Wednesday night.

The former West Ham man returned to action in the defeat as the Eagles held on to the draw until injury time, when they conceded two quick goals to go down 3-1.

“It was a good performance and we showed a good battle in the second half but the scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story,” he said.

“Their second goal was in the 91st minute and we took the game to them right up until that moment.

“When they went 2-1 up that knocked the stuffing out of us.”

The game marked the last time Palace boss Roy Hodgson managed the side in SE25 after announcing earlier this week that he would be leaving South London at the end of the season, and with 6,500 returning fans in Selhurst, it was an evening of mixed emotions for the defender.

“Obviously, it would have been nice to send Roy off from the last home game with a win but it just wasn’t to be,” he said. “It was a good performance from the team and it was great to be back out there, especially with the fans. They put on a great atmosphere considering it wasn’t at full capacity and gave us good support out there.”

That support saw Tomkins safely navigate the full game, which came after a 20 minute appearance on Sunday as a substitute in the 3-2 win against Villa.

“It’s good to be back [but] it’s been a bit of a weird season with the strange injury to the eye,” added the 32-year-old.

“I was hoping to get back before the end of the season, so it was nice to get that game time in before the end. It would have been nice with a better result but I feel like I’ve come a long way. It was a bad injury and it’s just nice to be back.”

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