After scoring the winner in a fiesty south London derby against Millwall, Palace fans are once again caught in two minds about whether French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who looked dead certain to be heading out the door during the January transfer window, should leave. However, despite his much-improved performances, increased game time and some important goals, there is still a strong possibility that the striker will leave Selhurst Park this month. So how will his legacy at Palace go down? Brian Matovu has a look...
From Sevran to Selhurst
Mateta was born just a few kilometers outside of Paris in the small commune of Sevran. Working his way up through the lower divisions of French Football, Mateta signed for Lyon in 2016 from third division outfit Châteauroux at just 18 years old. To obtain game time, he joined Ligue 2 side Le Havre on loan for the 2017-18 season where his impressive 19 goals in 37 league games led the oldest club in French football to a 4th place finish.
Despite his impressive season at Le Havre, Lyon accepted a bid from Mainz 05 for the stirker and the Frenchman would take his talents to Germany in what was a record signing for the club. Throughout his time at Mainz, he established himself as a regular in the German top-flight netting 27 goals in 71 appearances. By the time Palace were interested in signing him, Mainz 05 had already conceded that his departure was inevitable and allowed him to leave if a suitable offer was placed. Despite an apparent interest from Leeds, it was Palace who would sign Mateta in January 2021 on an initial 18-month loan deal with an option to buy for around €15m.
First team struggles
Just a year on from joining the Eagles, Mateta has struggled to consolidate a spot in the starting 11 under Palace managers Roy Hodgson and Patrick Vieira. Due to the impressive form of Christian Benteke and Odsonne Édouard, Mateta has found it difficult to get a consistent run of games with most appearances coming in cup competitions or off the substitute bench. Furthermore, even when Palace have needed a goal he is not the first person that Patrick Vieira relies upon to make an impact. In the 32 games that Mateta has been available for, he has been an unused substitute in 18 of them.
Mateta has the physical capabilities to cope in the Premier League but there are still major technical deficiencies in his game that need nourishing if he is to take his game to the next level. If Mateta had the technical ability of Edouard combined with the aerial dominance of Benteke, then the Frenchman would be the perfect striker for the South London side.
Big Game Player
However, even though Mateta has played little football at Selhurst Park he is not far from obtaining cult hero status as two of his three goals for Palace have come against two biggest rivals Brighton and Millwall where his input has led to the Eagles securing important victories. His clever improvised backheeled finish set Hodgson's side on their way to a snatch and grab win at the Amex Stadium in February 2021 and just last weekend it was Mateta who scored the all-important winning goal at the Den as Palace edged out 2-1 victors in the South London derby.
His trademark celebration of kicking the corner flag has also been widely embraced by the Palace fans too. JPM’s efforts have not gone unnoticed and he has been appreciated for his professionalism despite not playing and has done a steady job at times. An example being that when Palace were depleted of players due to a Covid outbreak, Mateta played well and scored as the Eagles demolished Norwich 3-0 in the Premier League.
Conclusion
However, I believe it’s best for both parties to move on. It is fairly obvious that Vieira doesn’t see him as a first-choice starter in attacking positions. Mainz boss Christian Heidel has even expressed his concerns over Mateta’s playing time and stated that if the situation did not improve then they will have to discuss other options. The summer acquisitions of Edouard and Olise alongside other attacking options such as Zaha, Benteke and Ayew has provided heavy competition for places and Mateta seems to be at the bottom of that list.
Moreover, there have been strong rumours that Palace are in the market for another striker which would all but end Mateta’s tenure at Selhurst Park. Mateta has featured in Palace’s last four games, but this is largely due to Zaha and Ayew being away at the African Cup Of Nations and Covid issues. When Palace are at full strength, Mateta has and will continue to find it very difficult to secure a starting spot in Premier League fixtures. But whatever happens, Mateta still has a bright future ahead of him as he is still only 24 years of age and he will always be remembered fondly at Selhurst Park as the man who conquered both Millwall and Brighton in their own backyards.