Jean-Philippe Mateta stole the show at Selhurst Park with a stunning hat-trick as Crystal Palace fought back from two goals down to draw 3-3 with Bournemouth in one of the most dramatic games of the Premier League season so far.
The French striker was at the heart of everything, scoring twice in a five-minute second-half spell to spark a comeback after Eli Junior Kroupi had given Bournemouth a 2-0 half-time lead.
Mateta then held his nerve from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time to earn Palace a point after Ryan Christie’s 89th-minute goal had looked set to give the visitors the win.
But the drama didn’t stop there: even after completing his treble, Mateta somehow missed a golden chance in the 99th minute that would have completed one of the great turnarounds.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored from the penalty spot to complete his hat-trick
As it happened | Teams | Stats
Bournemouth dominate early through teenage star
For much of the first half, Bournemouth looked a class above. The visitors started confidently, pressing high and dictating play through the midfield, with Palace unable to find their rhythm.
Their dominance was rewarded through Kroupi, the 19-year-old forward, continuing his rapid rise with two brilliantly taken goals. Quick, composed, and technically gifted, the French youngster, signed from Lorient after breaking through in Ligue 1, showed exactly why he’s regarded as one of Europe’s brightest prospects.
His first came midway through the half, finishing calmly past Dean Henderson. His second arrived just before half-time, steering home with conviction after Palace failed to clear a loose ball.
Oliver Glasner’s men did have their moments, Marc Guehi forced Petrovic into action after a long throw caused chaos, and Yeremy Pino set up a golden chance for Mateta, who headed wide when he should have equalised. But Bournemouth were sharper, more clinical, and fully deserving of their 2-0 lead at the break.
Second-half spark and controversy
Palace came out transformed after half-time. The match took an early twist when Ismaila Sarr was hauled down by Marcos Senesi, prompting a VAR review that many in Selhurst Park thought might see the Bournemouth defender sent off.
Referee Jarred Gillett checked the monitor but stuck with his original yellow card – a decision that only fuelled Palace’s fire.
From there, the hosts poured forward. The energy of Daniel Munoz down the right and the control of Maxence Lacroix at the back gave them a platform, while Mateta began to find the spaces that weren’t there in the first half.
Mateta’s hat-trick inspires the comeback
The Crystal Palace comeback began just after the hour mark.
Lacroix lifted a wonderful ball into the Bournemouth box, and Mateta did the rest, guiding past Petrovic to mark the changing point in the game.
Only two minutes later, the noise doubled and Selhurst Park erupted. Munoz drove the ball into the box, and Mateta was there again, reacting first to fire home the equaliser from close range.
Late twists, penalties and missed chances
Bournemouth thought they’d snatched victory when substitute Christie fired home in the 89th minute to make it 2-3.
But Palace refused to lie down. Deep into stoppage time, Guehi was bundled over in the area, and after a lengthy VAR check, the referee confirmed his original penalty decision.
Up stepped Mateta, cool as ever, to bury his penalty into the bottom corner for his hat-trick.
The home crowd erupted for a third time, and the Frenchman wheeled away in celebration, arms outstretched.
There was still time for one final twist. In the 99th minute, Mateta found himself unmarked with the goal gaping, only to blaze his shot over the bar from close range.
Hands on head, disbelief all around Selhurst Park. It would have been the perfect ending to a wild afternoon.
Glasner proud of Palace’s performance
Speaking to the media post-match, Oliver Glasner said:
“I’m so proud of the performance today. Not just the result, but how we played and how many chances we created.
“Credit to Bournemouth, they were so ruthless today. Every chance was a goal.
“The mentality of our team, the way we played, and the problems we caused them. I’ve watched many of Bournemouth’s games this season and I don’t think many teams have caused them this amount of problems.”
