Jean-Philippe Mateta is on Everton, live on Sky Sports on Saturday, after he has achieved double digits this season for Premier League goals with his brace in the victory of Crystal Palace over Manchester United. The striker continues to flourish under Oliver Glasner.
Since the first match of the Austrian last February, a 3-0 victory over Burnley in which Mateta Palace's third reached the penalty spot, the 27-year-old has scored 23 times in 37 outings, so that he only put two behind Mohamed Salah the same time frame and the fifth in general.
His total has him in Distinguished Company, a long way for more celebrated names such as Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa and Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. It is quite a turn for a player who only scored 11 times in 80 games for Palace for the arrival of Glasner.
It naturally helps that he finally plays regularly.
Mateta, a signing of £ 9 million from the German club Mainz in 2022 after a loan period, was initially used as a replacement and only won a start spot late in the second spell of Roy Hodgson. Under Glasner he started 35 Premier League matches of 37.
But Glasner has made changes to the role of Mateta and his playing time, as a result of which the output of the striker is reversed, by limiting his assignment on the field.
According to his heat cards, a player who rather drove in broad areas to combine with Palace's Wingers now much more focused on central zones, where he can be more dangerous. “He's great in the box,” said Glasner after the victory over Manchester United.
Mateta must cover less soil and help him retain energy. And despite the average of fewer accents, he has an almost identical number of shots because he was among the predecessors of Glasner. The difference there is that they come from better positions.
According to Opta, he gets three times as many big opportunities per 90 minutes. His shots are on average 0.24 expected goals, an increase of 0.14 earlier. His shot cards show less angular efforts and a higher concentration from the center of the box.
It follows that he converts a much higher percentage of them. But the improvement is due to better service and better positioning. Glasner's preference for a back three helped on that front, allowing him to reconfigure his attack around Mateta.
There is little need for Mateta to go to the flanks when Glasner Wing-Backs Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell has those areas occupied.
That couple, in turn, has allowed Palace's Wide Forwards, of whom Ebereechi Eze, who previously played in the central midfield, went inside and operating in the vicinity of Mateta.
Eze is the top provider of Mateta. The 26-year-old has set up seven Premier League goals for him since the appointment of Glasner. But Mateta also receives regular service from Munoz and Mitchell, with the first on the second of his two goals in Old Trafford.
Glasner has also emphasized the importance of his off-the-ball runs. Geniusiq Tracking Data is fourth in the Premier League for runs that challenge the backline of the opposition this season.
Those runs are only partially about placing themselves in scoring positions. They also require selflessness. “He makes so many points where he doesn't get the ball,” as Glasner has recently said. Often the intention is to create space for teammates by stretching opponents.
Nevertheless, Mateta remains largely not -announced outside of Palace. Perhaps it is because he is considered “old-fashioned” in style to quote Thierry Henry, his coach at last year's Olympic Games, where he scored five goals for silver medal members France.
At 6ft 3ins, strong in the air and excellent in holding the ball, Mateta certainly has the qualities of a traditional goalkeeper. The stopped shirt contributes to that aesthetics.
But he has become much more. It is worth noting that only three of his 34 Premier League goals have come with his head. Nine came with his weaker left foot. He also has a preference for Flicked, Backheeled finishes.
One of his best weaker foot efforts came in sublime style against Ipswich in December, when he raised an agile finish about goalkeeper Arijanet Muric after he had left defender Jacob Greaves on his back with a fleet -footed stepover and an eruption of acceleration.
There was another example of his all -round development in the recent victory over West Ham, then, in similar circumstances such as the goal of Ipswich, a locked on a ball at the back, Mateta chose to take his shot early and find the bottom corner From outside the box.
Mateta started the season relatively slowly after his efforts at the Olympic Games. But that dip served to emphasize one of his strengths: his mentality. “I called him two or three times, but he always remained positive,” Glasner recalled last month. “He was always a good guy and continued to work hard.”
His contribution to Old Trafford was just the newest example of his talent for scoring crucial goals. Since the appointment of Glasner, the goals of Mateta have even been worth 14 points for Palace.
Continue in the same way and, too late, Mateta can soon begin to attract the recognition that his versions deserve.
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