Mateta 'back doing what he does best'

[BBC]

[PA Media]

In February, I wrote a piece questioning whether Jean-Philippe Mateta deserved to play for Crystal Palace again. When he returned to the Selhurst Park pitch on 12 March in a 0-0 draw against AEK Larnaca, the reaction from the crowd said plenty - a chorus of boos echoed the stands, showing just how frustrated fans were with January's off-field drama.

Fast forward four weeks, things feel a lot different and our number 14 is back doing what he does best... kicking the corner flag!

In what I would argue was Palace's best performance of the Conference League campaign, Mateta reminded us exactly what he offers. His penalty against Fiorentina set us on the way to a comfortable victory and in a good position for our upcoming away leg.

In a post-match interview with TNT Sports, the Frenchman stated: "I dreamed about that for nights." Maybe being out of favour with Oliver Glasner is exactly what Mateta needed to reignite the fire in his belly.

Just three days later came Newcastle. Introduced from the bench with 25 minutes left, he completely changed the game. His late double was exactly what we had been missing and the noise around Selhurst Park was something special.

It has helped that Jorgen Strand Larsen has not found his rhythm yet, scoring three goals in 11 appearances, which has given Mateta an opportunity. I would love to see the two play together, although it seems Glasner is reluctant to move away from his preferred system.

We could be seeing another repeat of the Wilfried Zaha to Everton saga in 2019, where villain becomes club hero... and what better way to do that then helping Palace win their first ever European trophy!

Find more from Ellie Killick at Eagle Eye View