Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish admitted Ben Foster was outstanding in victory over Chelsea.
Lee Bowyer's first goal in nearly 12 months doomed Chelsea to successive league defeats for the first time in four and a half years.
McLeish rang the praises of Foster who put his mistake against France when on England duty behind him with a string of superb saves.
He said: "I've always said a good keeper is paramount. He can win you championships, earn you points, save you points, or keep your team in the division.
"Ben has been superb for us. I thought the criticism of him with England was a bit harsh.
"He made some great saves today and in other games and has been on top form since he came here."
McLeish admits Birmingham were due a slice of good fortune after being under pressure for the majority of the game.
He said: "We got a bit of luck but I would say that in recent weeks we have deserved to win games which never went our way.
"We have had plenty of bad luck this season so far. Maybe we got a bit of luck today."