It’s been quite the rollercoaster for Jean-Philippe Mateta since he arrived on English soil last year.
The Frenchman joined Crystal Palace on an 18-month loan deal from Mainz in January 2021 and quickly made a name for himself by scoring his first goal in a famous away win against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. That remained his only goal for the club for quite some time and, partnered with a lack of appearances during the first half of the current season, it seemed likely that the striker would be quietly moved on by the end of the campaign.
Fast forward to today though and Mateta has signed a permanent contract that will keep him at Selhurst Park until June 2026 and he just scored an important goal against Everton to help book Palace a spot in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley next month. On top of that, he’s kicked corner flags at The Den, Vicarage Road, Molineux and Selhurst Park. A very promising return considering he was afforded just 61 minutes of Premier League football from the opening 17 games of the season.
READ MORE: Gareth Southgate brings Tyrick Mitchell into England squad after Chelsea man drops out
So what changed? Palace currently have the experienced Christian Benteke and expensive summer signing Odsonne Edouard sat on the bench while Mateta enjoys his time in the sunshine. Patrick Vieira has said he chooses his striker based on performances in training as well as what style will suit the opposition best though it’s clear that Mateta is the first choice by a stretch right now.
Drafted into the team while the squad suffered from injury and Covid-19 problems, the towering forward scored his first goal of the season in December on what was just his second league start of the campaign. Since then, Vieira has rarely looked back - Mateta has featured in each of Palace’s last 16 fixtures across all competitions, starting ten of them.
His physicality means he is effective in both boxes and can be used as a target man to hold the ball up, which he did to great effect on Sunday against Everton after the Toffees dominated the early stages of the game, forcing Palace to go long. He can also make runs in behind, drift into the channels and is one of the best finishers currently at the club. His strikes against Norwich and Everton, in particular, attest to his accuracy from first-time finishes, while his goal to put the Eagles 2-0 up against Wolves at Molineux showed his propensity to not only start moves off but also finish them.
“I’m really happy for him because I don’t think Jean-Philippe Mateta gets the credit that he deserves,” said Vieira when asked about his striker’s performance on Sunday. “Against City or the last few games he played, he had a massive impact on team performance. I’m really happy for him because he gets awarded with the goal he scored because he’s been running around all over the place.
“On the defensive side and on the offensive side he was running in behind, holding the ball, stretching the opposition and their back three. When he came off he’d given everything. I’m really, really happy with what he’s bringing to the team.”
Mateta has found the perfect time to come into form and Vieira now has one less position that he needs to worry about. If he remains fit, Mateta should start every one of Palace’s remaining games, including the huge FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley next month.
