Mateta: When I see the Palace fans, I have to celebrate!
Jean-Philippe Mateta is enjoying his regular celebrations with the Crystal Palace supporters at the start of 2025!
The Frenchman made it four goals in four matches at the start of the new calendar year with a well-taken brace against West Ham United – the former a fierce low strike after isolating marker Max Kilman, and the latter a penalty after Eddie Nketiah was brought down in the closing seconds.
Mateta’s celebrations in front of the Palace fans away to Leicester City were quite something, and it was the corner flag in front of the travelling contingent at London Stadium which was kicked by the forward on both occasions on Saturday.
“Fantastic!” he told Palace TV about how he felt at full-time. “I'm very happy, and hopefully we'll keep winning games.
“It’s always good to fight in front of them [the Palace fans]. We do this for them too, you know, and yeah, I was very happy. I'm always happy when I see them. I have to celebrate with them.
“You have to be confident. Wins help us to be confident and, you know, when you win, and you train good, there’s a good atmosphere around the team, and I can bring more energy too for the lads.
“Hopefully I will keep kicking the corner flag!”
Talking through his first goal, Mateta explained: “When [Eze] has the ball, I know he's a great player, a fantastic player with the ball, so then I make the run and when he can see me, I try to score.
“I saw Ebs and I made the run, and I see he gives me the ball, and I see I was against the defender [Kilman], and I see the gap, and I shoot hard… and I score!”