Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has been heavily praised for his performance against Luton Town, with pundit Chris Sutton lauding one thing the forward did against the Hatters.
Crystal Palace were handed a late blow by Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, as Oliver Glasner was cruelly denied his second win as manager of the Eagles.
After losing 3-1 to Spurs last week, it was important that Palace bounced back against the Hatters at Selhurst Park on matchday 28, which they so nearly did in front of their home crowd.
A goal in the 11th minute from Jean-Philippe Mateta put the hosts in control against Rob Edwards’ side however, it was just seconds from time that Palace’s hard work was undone to see the points shared.
Cauley Woodrow’s 96th-minute equaliser took the three points away from Glasner’s squad who despite dominating in the final third, were left with little to show for their efforts.
That being said, there was a moment to be celebrated by Palace as Mateta’s goal not only marked his fifth of the season but showcased just how strong his finishing can be.
Jean-Philippe Mateta showed his worth against Luton Town
The creation of Mateta’s goal can be credited to Daniel Munoz, whose tireless efforts saw him win possession and charge into the box to assist the Frenchman’s finish.
Despite Munoz’s work to craft the opener, nothing can be taken away from the 26-year-old who pulled off an audacious finish to make it 1-0 to the hosts.
In a crowded penalty area, Mateta was able to manoeuvre the ball into the net with a cheeky flick to deceive the Luton defenders, with his execution of the goal highly praised by many.
What Chris Suton said about Jean-Philippe Mateta against Luton Town
During the game, pundit Chris Sutton lauded the forward’s finish on BBC Radio 5 Live, calling his work ‘wonderful’ to give Palace the lead.
“The finish is brilliant from Mateta because he had a lot of work to do. Wonderful awareness from the striker and what a finish.”
Sutton was joined by fellow pundit Paul Merson in his celebration of Mateta’s excellence in the moment to put the hosts in front, with the former Arsenal player dubbing the goal a “phenomenal finish” on Sky Sports.
It’s a great shame for both Palace and their striker that the goal couldn’t have stood as the winning strike, with Glasner now having to go back to the drawing board in search of his second win in charge.
Up next for the Eagles comes a trip to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest, in what will be a highly-contested fixture in the bottom third of the table.
