Mateta Scores Late Brace As Palace Come From Behind To Beat Newcastle

Mateta scored a dramatic late double as Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Newcastle United.

The visitors looked to be on course for a much-needed victory following William Osula’s first-half strike at Selhurst Park.

But Newcastle have thrown away more points from winning positions (25) than any other side in the Premier League and Crystal Palace came roaring back late on.

Newcastle breathed a sigh of relief after Jefferson Lerma’s header crashed off the crossbar, but the hosts eventually equalised in the 80th minute.

Daniel Munoz broke forward down the right and the defender’s cross was coolly hooked back across by Tyrick Mitchell to Mateta, who headed the ball down and into the net to leave manager Oliver Glasner jumping for joy on the touchline.

Opposite number Eddie Howe, by contrast, bowed his head, but the Newcastle head coach’s afternoon was about to get even worse.

Referee Andy Madley awarded Crystal Palace a penalty in the first minute of stoppage time when defender Sven Botman pulled Jefferson Lerma’s shirt inside the box.

Up stepped Mateta, who picked out the bottom right corner to the delight of the home supporters.

The hosts’ win meant they leapfrogged Newcastle into 13th place, as Howe’s team fell to 14th.

Crystal Palace analysis: Mateta wreaks havoc again
Once upon a time, Glasner fretted about the limited options at his disposal as injuries ravaged his squad. Not any more.

The Crystal Palace manager turned to his impressive bench midway through the second half as he threw on Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta, and in doing so he changed the outcome of this game.

The trio all played their part in the turnaround, but Mateta will rightly grab the attention at the end of a memorable week for the Crystal Palace striker.

Not only did Mateta end his goal drought and produce a devastating display in the 3-0 win against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League quarter-final on Thursday, but he followed that up with a superb cameo against Newcastle.

It would have been easy for the Eagles to be distracted by their European adventure, but this side showed they are very much still fighting in the Premier League, too, as they look to maintain momentum and push to finish as high as they can.

No wonder Crystal Palace supporters are daring to dream.

With an eye on May’s Europa Conference League final in Germany, they repeatedly chanted: “We’re on our way, on our way. To Leipzig, we’re on our way.”

Crystal Palace travel to the Artemio Franchi Stadium for the second leg of their European quarter-final against Fiorentina on Thursday, 16 April, before welcoming West Ham to Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Monday, 20 April.

Newcastle host Bournemouth at St James’ Park on Saturday, 18 April, before a trip to Arsenal a week later on Saturday, 25 April.