Sunday saw the season end for Crystal Palace and it ended on a high with a 5-0 win while Jean-Philippe Mateta grabbed a hattrick.
The season no Crystal Palace fan wanted to end, came to an end on Sunday, with Oliver Glasner securing a 10th place finish. The 5-0 win over Aston Villa was enough to see the Eagles overtake Brighton in the table too.
While every player deserves praise for being excellent, Jean-Philippe Mateta was once again the man in form during the game as he became a record breaker and the first player to score a hattrick for Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League.
It was the Frenchman’s first for the club, and he almost forgot to claim a valuable souvenir.
What Clyne and Jean-Philippe Mateta did after beating Villa says it all
Quite incredibly, Mateta’s hattrick means that he’s ended the campaign with 16 Premier League goals, along with five assists.
However, he almost forgot to claim the match ball which is of course something of a tradition for a hattrick scorer to take it.
Luckily for Mateta, Nathaniel Clyne noticed he hadn’t grabbed the ball, and told the 26-year-old. After being reminded, Mateta can be seen running off to get the ball. A classy moment which we’re glad was caught on camera.
After retrieving the ball, his teammates congratulated him once more. After this, Mateta shoved the ball up his top, and it no doubt now has a place on his mantle back home.
The fact that Mateta forgot the ball says it all about his rapid rise into superstar status for Palace, as he was just enjoying the atmosphere post-game and didn’t even think to grab the ball until Clyne reminded him.
Crystal Palace must keep hold of Mateta this summer amid interest
Such an impressive few months under Glasner has raised Mateta’s stock considerably and for good reason as he’s establishing himself as a league-leading number nine.
The No. 14 has been top class and due to this form, he’s drawing interest from some of Europe’s elite sides this summer.
Now, Mateta has been linked with both Juventus and Napoli, with the two Italian giants eyeing up a move for the big striker this summer, according to Tutto Juve.
Despite this kind of interest from top clubs, Palace are in a position to keep Mateta and he’s clearly feeling the love right now at Selhurst Park.
Losing Mateta would be a huge loss, as he’d be so difficult to replace considering there’s such limited value in the market.
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