Everton keeper Tim Howard has been in top form this season, according to Blues team-mate Leon Osman.
Howard was called into late action in Saturday's 1-0 FA Cup win over Macclesfield and Osman says credit must go to the United States international.
Midfielder Osman said: "Tim's been fantastic lately. He has been making some top-class saves.
"It's really difficult when you're not involved in the game to keep concentration and make a vital save."
Defensively Everton have improved over recent weeks, having only conceded six goals in their last 12 matches.
It is a stark contrast to the opening dozen games when David Moyes' side saw 24 scored by the opposition.
And Osman says the squad must be pleased with their efforts to keep things tight at the back.
"The defenders should be proud of the job they're doing at the minute," Osman continued.
"But it's not just about the defenders as we defend as a team but we should be proud. We've been keeping clean sheets and winning games because of it.
"Hopefully we can keep this up."
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