Garth Crooks' team of the week: Lukaku, Payet, Ake, Kane, Deeney

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Garth's team of the week

Watford, Everton and Crystal Palace all booked their places at Wembley after a typically captivating and combustible FA Cup quarter-final weekend.

West Ham - inspired by the superb Dimitri Payet - and Manchester United could not be separated and still have it all to do with a replay at Upton Park.

In the Premier League, Tottenham trimmed Leicester's lead at the summit with an efficient win at Aston Villa and Bournemouth all but secured safety with a superb victory against Swansea.

But who were the outstanding performers? Here are my selections...

Goalkeeper - David de Gea (Manchester United)

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David de Gea made two saves against West Ham

The save by David de Gea to deny West Ham's Michail Antonio in the dying minutes of their FA Cup encounter was enough to keep Manchester United in the tie. It was the sort of save that may prove to be West Ham's undoing come the replay at Upton Park - the last time the competition will take place at the old Boleyn Ground.

The big question at Old Trafford, and arguably the turning point, is did Bastian Schweinsteiger actually impede Darren Randolph for Anthony Martial's equaliser? Former World Cup referee and now analyst Howard Webb thought he did. But would Webb have actually awarded the free-kick against Schweinsteiger had he been in charge?

Defender - Seamus Coleman (Everton)

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Only James McCarthy (eight) made more tackles against Chelsea for Everton than Coleman (four)

Irish eyes are certainly smiling on Seamus Coleman at the moment. The Everton full-back is playing some wonderful football again after a number of niggling injuries. During some of the most intense moments of the pulsating game between Everton and Chelsea, Coleman showed a remarkable ability not to panic when deep in his own half, which must please Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill before the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the European Championships this summer.

Defender - Phil Jagielka (Everton)

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Phil Jagielka made 11 clearances against Chelsea, more than any other player on the pitch

Everton needed their win against Chelsea. Their Premier League form has been so disappointing and their manager appears to be in denial. However, the cup tie against Chelsea could have gone up in smoke in a heartbeat, such was the nature of the game.

Fortunately Everton had within their ranks Phil Jagielka, who is, by far and away, the coolest, if not the most sensible, footballer around. Whenever there was any danger of the game exploding into a brawl - and there was on a few occasions - Jagielka was there, either pulling the main protagonists away or keeping his team-mates from getting involved. Jagielka is a very valuable asset to have in your team, especially when egos are running wild.

Defender - Steve Cook (Bournemouth)

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Steve Cook has now scored in back-to-back home games for Bournemouth

Bournemouth have won back to back home games in the Premier League for the first time, and the financial difference it could make to the club is incalculable. I've no doubt this was the last thing on Steve Cook's mind when he rose above the Swansea defence to nod home the winner to seal three points, but that is the reality. What manager Eddie Howe has achieved during his time at Dean Court with his players, who frankly have surpassed all expectations, has been remarkable and must place him in contention as a front-runner for the England job should it become available after the European Championships in France this summer.

If not Howe, name me another English candidate who is currently worthy of the appointment?

Defender - Nathan Ake (Watford)

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Sebastian Prodl (five) was the only Watford player to make more interceptions than Ake against Arsenal (four)

Nathan Ake is starting to fulfil his true potential. Against Arsenal, he displayed such acute defensive awareness I am starting to think that Chelsea should seriously consider bringing the on-loan full-back back to Stamford Bridge. Ake's first-half tackle in his own penalty area on Alexis Sanchez was a game-changer. It's one thing seeing the danger but it's something entirely different when a defender takes the responsibility to alleviate the problem - and Ake did just that. Chelsea are about to start a rebuilding process at Stamford Bridge and Ake should be central to it.

Midfielder - Dimitri Payet (West Ham)

Whenever West Ham produce a result these days it seems as though Dimitri Payet is at the heart of it. His arrival at Upton Park has got the fans talking about the Frenchman in the same terms as Sir Trevor Brooking and Paolo di Canio. However, I doubt whether either of those West Ham legends could have scored a better free-kick than the one Payet netted against Manchester United.

Quite apart from anything else, Payet was facing one of the best goalkeepers in the world in David de Gea and still made the set-play look routine. The tie now goes to a replay but I wouldn't bet against Payet doing it again.

Midfielder - Troy Deeney (Watford)

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Troy Deeney has eight assists in all competitions this season, more than any other Watford player

Watford produced a monumental performance at Arsenal, led by their skipper and talisman Troy Deeney. Arsenal, on course for a third consecutive FA Cup final, were stopped in their tracks by the sting of the Hornets. Not since the days of Graham Taylor with John Barnes in their ranks have I seen a Watford team capable of winning the FA Cup. Arsenal were very lucky and should have taken advantage of still having 11 men on the field after Gabriel escaped a red card for a reckless two-footed lunge into Deeney. Nevertheless the Gunners did not profit from the situation afforded them by referee Andre Marriner and now find themselves out of the competition as a consequence. Barcelona now await, hosting the Gunners in the Champions League in midweek. Good luck with that.

Midfielder - Max Gradel (Bournemouth)

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Max Gradel scored his first goal in English league football since August 2011 against Swansea

It's official - Bournemouth are staying up! Premier League survival now looks certain after beating Swansea in a terrific game of football to achieve a points tally many thought was impossible for the Cherries. Swansea keeper Lukasz Fabianski made a mess of the cross which lead to Max Gradel opening his account but if anyone was going to score, Gradel was. The Ivorian was already wreaking havoc in the Swansea ranks before he set up Bournemouth's second goal for Josh King. Those two players also destroyed Newcastle last week at St James' Park, a loss which got Steve McClaren the sack.

Forward - Harry Kane (Tottenham)

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Harry Kane has scored more goals in all competitions than any other Englishman in the Premier League (22)

I'm told that Spurs fans got upset with me via social media last week when I maintained that Hugo Lloris struggles in big games. Well, true to form, he was outstanding against Aston Villa and I'm not surprised. However, there is one player Spurs can rely on in any game and that's Harry Kane. The striker simply blew Villa away after his side suffered a heavy defeat in the Europa League in Dortmund in midweek.

Nevertheless, with the assistance of Dele Alli, Tottenham have recovered. I noticed that Gary Lineker insists that Kane and Alli are 'musts' for the England starting XI come the European Championships - but at whose expense Gary? That's what Roy Hodgson is going to have to consider.

Forward - Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

What a performance by Romelu Lukaku against his old team. In fact it was the former Chelsea striker's all-round display that made the performance and sending off of his striking counterpart Diego Costa look so tasteless. Lukaku does not possess the aggression or ruthless instincts of Costa and yet still has the ability to terrorise defences without being utterly obnoxious.

I didn't think that Lukaku was capable of scoring his first goal which was, without doubt, the best finish I have ever seen him produce in arguably his best performance in an Everton shirt. In the meantime I suggest Chelsea Football Club make it abundantly clear to Costa that he needs to grow up and start behaving like an adult instead of a spoilt child who throws his toys out of the pram the moment he doesn't get what he wants.

Forward - Graziano Pelle (Southampton)

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Graziano Pelle scored as many goals against Stoke as he had in his previous 17 Premier League appearances combined

Pelle had a blinder at Stoke. He hadn't scored in the Premier League for 12 games and suddenly netted two of the most well-taken goals he has scored all season. His first, a glancing header from a corner, would have struck at the heart of some Stoke fans and evoked memories of a legendary former Potters centre-forward and legend John Ritchie, who scored similar goals for the Potters throughout the early '70s and strangely enough had a remarkable likeness to the Italy international.

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John Ritchie - the Graziano Pelle of his day?

However, it was the performance of referee Lee Mason that caught my attention. It has been a long time since I have seen such incompetence from a referee. Not to award Southampton a penalty for Jack Butland's tackle on Dusan Tadic was bad enough but sending off Sadio Mane for his perfectly acceptable challenge on Erik Pieters was a shocking verdict by any standards. Granted, we all make mistakes, but errors of this nature and at this level are totally unacceptable.

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