Mateta’s Double Secures Crystal Palace’s Premier League Status
Crystal Palace secured their place in the Premier League for another season with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Selhurst Park. Jean-Philippe Mateta was the hero of the match, scoring both goals to secure the win for the Eagles. Mateta’s first goal came in the 55th minute as he exchanged passes with Jordan Ayew before calmly slotting the ball past Martin Dubravka. He then sealed the victory in the 88th minute, converting a cut-back from Will Hughes for his 11th league goal of the season.
Mateta’s recent form has been a standout for Crystal Palace since Oliver Glasner took charge of the team. Under Glasner’s guidance, Mateta has flourished, scoring eight goals in his last seven appearances. The Frenchman’s improvement can be attributed to his work rate and the intelligent runs he makes, creating space for his teammates such as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise. However, it is his finishing ability that has taken him to another level in recent weeks. With 11 league goals to his name, this is Mateta’s best goal-scoring season since joining Palace.
The impressive run of form from Mateta has not gone unnoticed by the club, as they are already planning talks to extend his contract. It is clear that Palace values his contributions and will be keen to keep him at the club beyond this season.
Meanwhile, Newcastle struggled to make an impact in the match. Eddie Howe’s side had just one shot on target, and their best chance came in the first half when Alexander Isak was sent through on goal. However, Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson quickly closed down the opportunity and smothered the shot.
Newcastle also felt hard done by when they were denied a penalty late in the second half. Sean Longstaff went down in the box after a challenge from Will Hughes, but VAR ruled in favor of Crystal Palace. Overall, Newcastle lacked creativity and failed to create enough chances to trouble the Eagles.
The defeat is a setback for Newcastle, who were looking to secure their third consecutive win. However, they have a chance to bounce back when they face bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United in their next match. They will need to regain their form quickly if they hope to secure European football for next season.
In terms of individual performances, Mateta was undoubtedly the standout player of the match. He was awarded the Player of the Match title with an average rating of 8.03. He was closely followed by Crystal Palace’s Andrew Wharton and Eberechi Eze, who had average ratings of 7.97 and 7.84 respectively. On the other hand, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak had disappointing performances, with average ratings of 6.25 and 5.92 respectively.
Overall, Crystal Palace’s victory not only secures their Premier League status for another season but also highlights the significant impact that Mateta has had on the team under Oliver Glasner’s management. It will be interesting to see how his contract talks progress and if he can continue his impressive goal-scoring form in the remaining matches of the season. As for Newcastle, they will need to regroup quickly and rediscover their winning form if they want to achieve their goal of European football next season.