The clock read 90+7 when Jean-Philippe Mateta blew the roof off South London. Make no mistake: this pitch here, and every blade of grass on it, is his dominion.
It is testament to the Frenchman’s brilliance that after an awe-inspiring hat-trick, he will still go to bed kicking himself after skying a chance to win the game in the 99th minute. His jaw dropped in disbelief – everybody else’s already had because of him.
At half-time, this looked like a fairytale day for Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi. Last year he was scoring in sleepy towns in the French second tier. Two goals from the 19-year-old here announced his name on the world stage.
And in the 89th minute, it looked like Cherries substitute Ryan Christie had stolen the show. Sliding the ball home to silence Selhurst Park for a seeming winner, he had looked to have gazumped Mateta at his own game after the Frenchman’s two goals to drag the match level.
But wait, not so fast. The cruel boot of Mateta had other ideas.
Jean Philippe-Mateta stole the show with a hat-trick as Crystal Palace twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Bournemouth
Eli Junior Kroupi thought he had stolen the headlines with two goals in the first half
Mateta’s masterful display
Are you watching, Wilfried Zaha?
If there was any doubt where the crown sits at the moment, it is firmly on Mateta’s head.
His ‘spat’ with club legend Zaha this week – which, in truth, felt like an overreaction from the Ivory Coast star – threw down the gauntlet. Produce a performance, silence the critics.
Initially, it didn’t look like it was going to be the 28-year-old’s day. Several times he was presented with the whites of Djordje Petrovic’s eyes, and each time the Palace talisman blinked. Chances gone begging, Selhurst Park groaning.
But Mateta kept running, kept hounding defenders, kept shooting. And he left with his head held high.
In total he had 11 shots here, more than Bournemouth’s entire team had (eight). The best strikers don’t let their heads drop when the day feels against them. They change the narrative.
Mateta dragged Palace back into the game and had 11 shots – more than Bournemouth together
Kroupi’s crushed dream
Kroupi must be devastated at how Mateta flipped the game on its head.
Not many men will ever get the privilege of having Bournemouth’s fans sing about being top of the league, but the 19-year-old enjoyed just that.
After his two goals in the first half, the young Frenchman allowed a faint smile at half-time. You would have forgiven him for beaming, but the self-restraint and modesty now looks wise.
Cherries fans already had a soft spot for Kroupi after his late volleyed equaliser against Leeds last month. But he barely had 20 minutes of Premier League action under his belt as he deputised for the injured Evanilson from the start today. You get the sense Evanilson may be checking his shoulder.
Iraola has just gained an incredibly valuable asset, gold dust in a long campaign – a back-up striker he can fully trust. This is a massive opportunity for Kroupi considering with Evanilson potentially out for a few weeks.
What struck you here was the youngster’s razor-sharp instinct and sixth sense. Two goals at the back post, both reacting quickly to unfolding events.
Kroupi was playing in the second tier of France last season but has adapted well to the Premier League
Wharton’s England pitch
If Thomas Tuchel leaves Adam Wharton on the sofa when the World Cup comes around, England will be far more stodgy team.
Wharton was at his balletic best here – the seam-splitting passes, 180 turns that made his opponents look like waxwork, elegant bursts through the middle of the park.
Life is a lot more exciting as a forward when you’ve got Wharton as a playmaker. Several times Mateta’s eyes lit up as the 21-year-old sent a pass zipping through the lines.
He only landed 70 per cent of them, but that’s the point. His ambition keeps the opposition guessing. How to press a man who is seemingly unpressable, how to intercept a pass that felt almost imaginary?
Wharton spent some of this international break recuperating with his grandparents, and whatever they put in his meals seems to have worked a treat.
Glasner said: ‘If he stays fit, I’m pretty sure that he will go to the World Cup.’
Adam Wharton showed Thomas Tuchel what he is missing out on
Guehi
Marc Guehi, usually so unflappable, didn’t have his greatest day at the office here after telling Palace that he wants to go.
The headline moment is his botched clearance which led directly to Kroupi’s second goal in the first half.
He only had a split second to react to Semenyo’s driven cross but rather than boot the ball out, he got his feet mixed up and sliced it straight into Kroupi’s postcode.
Other than that, he was the citadel of Palace’s backline and looked as composed as ever.
Guehi has been a consummate professional ever since arriving in 2021. Few players in the Premier League exclude his calm or maturity and he deserves a move if he wants it.
Marc Guehi’s error was a tricky moment after he told the club he wants to leave, but overall he had a solid day
Iraola and Glasner
Much of the talk in recent months has focused on Guehi’s contract situation, but there are two equally pressing issues here: the expiring deals of Iraola and Glasner.
Both of them are up in the summer and both men are keeping their cards close to their chest. When the Manchester United job has been floated as a potential gig – even while it’s still occupied by the beleaguered Ruben Amorim – you can’t blame them.
The focus at Palace and Bournemouth has to be on backing these men to the hilt and providing them with a convincing plan to achieve European football.
