Mateta's "Crazy" Week

LONDON, SATURDAY — Jean-Philippe Mateta had the most memorable week of his 10-year professional career. After making his debut and scoring his first goal for the French national team, Mateta scored his second Premier League hat trick to prevent Crystal Palace from losing against Bournemouth on Saturday (18/10/2027) at Selhurst Park Stadium.

Mateta began this week by earning his first minutes in the French national team uniform on October 11. The 11 minutes played in the match against Azerbaijan marked the beginning of his consideration as part of the "Les Bleus" squad in preparation for the 2026 World Cup.

The 28-year-old player seized his first opportunity as a starting player for the French national team during the match against Iceland at Laugardalsvöllur Stadium in Reykjavik. The trust placed in him by French Coach Didier was not wasted, as Mateta scored his first goal in international play.

Just four days after scoring his debut goal for Les Bleus, Mateta helped Palace secure a point in a dramatic match that ended 3-3 against Bournemouth. The hat-trick demonstrated that Mateta could elevate his team while also becoming a key player for "The Eagles," the nickname for Palace.

The home team fell behind by two goals due to contributions from Bournemouth's young striker, Eli Junior Kroupi. The 19-year-old player scored two goals from two shots he made in the seventh and thirty-eighth minutes.

In the second half, the stage belonged entirely to Mateta. The 1.92-meter tall striker equalized with a brace just five minutes apart.

The pair of goals is evidence that Mateta has developed into a clinical striker adept at finding space in the opponent's penalty area. In the first goal, he deftly redirected a well-placed cross from Palace's wing-back, Daniel Munoz, in the 64th minute.

Then, in the 69th minute, Munoz's shot was parried by Bournemouth's goalkeeper, Dorde Petrovic. The rebound fell to where Mateta was positioned, allowing him to easily shake the net of "The Cherries," the nickname of the visiting team, for the second time.

Bournemouth was briefly closer to securing three points through a goal from substitute Ryan Christie, one minute before the end of normal time in the second half. However, Mateta was able to capitalize on a penalty opportunity to equalize on the scoreboard in the 90+7 minute.

"I am living a dream that has come true with France. Now I am back at Crystal Palace and continuing to work hard. There is fantastic spirit in this team, we do not give up," said Mateta to the BBC after the match.

Since joining Palace in the 2021-2022 season, Mateta has already scored his second hat trick for the Eagles. His first hat trick in a match came in the final game of the 2023-2024 season against Aston Villa.

Seventeen months later, Mateta scored another hat trick for Palace in the Premier League. The striker from Sevran, France, has scored five goals in the fiercest competition this season in eight appearances.

Mateta has scored five hat-tricks in his professional career, spanning five clubs. One hat-trick came while playing for French side Le Havre, and the other two goals came while playing for Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga.

His hat-trick haul in Germany has already matched his tally in England. Unsurprisingly, Mateta could score even more hat-tricks in a single game with Palace.

"I am very frustrated facing the last opportunity, but I managed to talk to my teammates to calm myself down, and then I tried my best to make the most of it," said Mateta, who has scored 53 goals in 165 games for Palace.

"For supporters, this is an entertaining game. On the other hand, the situation is certainly unpleasant for the manager when we are trailing 0-2. We could either avoid defeat, but our goal remains three points," he added.

One point in the eighth week has left Palace in eighth place. They failed to advance into the top four. Meanwhile, Bournemouth is temporarily in fourth position.

Palace manager Oliver Glasner has never doubted his team's character. He is also pleased with the way they play and the chances created by his players.

"I think there is nothing we could have done, even though the opponent performed more effectively. If we look at the details of the game, both teams displayed a balanced performance. After falling behind, we continued to execute our plan, and this is the result we achieved," said Glasner.

Bournemouth Manager Andoni Iraola stated that each team dominated the match in different halves. Bournemouth excelled in the first half, while Palace performed better in the second half.

"I can't be happy, I'm not satisfied. I'm disappointed and angry because they scored in the 96th minute. That's unacceptable," Iraola was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

Despite the two points evaporating at the end of the match, Iraola found one positive aspect. Iraola has a new source of goals in Kroupi.

Similar to Mateta, Kroupi also had a memorable week in his career. He scored a brace in his first appearance for Palace. In midweek, Kroupi also scored twice to help the French U-21 team beat Estonia 6-1 in a European U-21 Championship qualifier.

In his debut season in the English Premier League, the 19-year-old striker has already scored three goals. This goal tally was achieved in his last two appearances with Bournemouth.

"That goal is important for his confidence. He is a very important player for us. Still very young and becoming a core player option, it shows his quality," said Iraola about Kroupi. (AFP)