Last February, a Monday night mauling of Manchester United seemed a million miles away for Crystal Palace.
Pressure was mounting on then-manager Roy Hodgson amid a run of just three wins from 17 in the Premier League.
Fans were disappointed by banners attacking the club’s management and property during matches. Heavy defeats at Arsenal and main rivals Brighton had supporters fearing that a season that initially looked like a holding pattern would veer off course towards the Championship.
Yet in the space of a few weeks, Oliver Glasner has assembled and galvanized the support base and instilled a clear vision of the game – in stark contrast to the Manchester United side that his team dismantled on a memorable evening at Selhurst Park.
Perhaps no one was more revitalized than a Frenchman who had endured a sometimes anonymous situation three years previously and scored just 11 Premier League goals.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is a striker who has been reborn under Glasner. His nine goals in 11 matches under the Austrian’s management have propelled Palace away from any danger, with supporters now salivating at a bright future ahead.
It is a remarkable turnaround for a player who started just six Premier League matches last season. Earlier this week he was recognized with Palace’s Player of the Season award and jointly voted the club’s Player of the Season – alongside teammate Joachim Andersen.
“I’m a guy who likes to enjoy things, they feel that from me in the locker room,” he says Aerial sports ahead of this weekend’s trip to Wolves. “You see him with (Eberechi) Eze too, he dances like crazy!
“It’s easier sometimes, with Eze dribbling past two or three players – (Michael) Olise is the same – and then they find me and I can score with a first touch. It’s such a pleasure to play with those two there.”
Mateta scored in each of Glasner’s first six home matches, sending the Selhurst Park faithful into a frenzy with his now-iconic celebration.
The former Mainz striker’s form has been so impressive that only Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak have scored more league goals than the Palace frontman since Glasner took charge at south-east London.
Palace have been hampered for much of the season without their creative magicians – Eze and Olise. Eze has missed 11 matches due to injury this season while Olise has been absent even more.
Palace’s win rate is 71 per cent in this Premier League campaign when both men started. Compare that to 17 percent when both were missing.
Eze made his England debut last summer and was said to have ambitions to boost his international credentials this season. Injuries at crucial times prevented him from adding to his two caps.
However, UEFA’s recent confirmation that nations will be able to nominate 26 players for this summer’s European Championships has given the former QPR midfielder hope of landing a place on the plane for the ‘Germany.
He said: “It would be a huge honour, a huge privilege to be chosen. Of course my family would be proud, but you try not to think about it too much – it takes you away from the moment of playing Wolves this time . weekend.
“I try not to think about (the England team), I just try to enjoy being on the pitch, that’s my main goal, what I’m doing here. It will put me in the best place position for the summer, I’m not I focused on that, freeze as much as I can, learn as much as I can from the manager, and that’s it.
“There is a lot of talent here. There are so many great players, players who are going to be incredible players. We love playing together, we are becoming more and more connected as a team, and as long as we are together, it will It’ll be a good time, that’s for sure.”
In his previous role at Eintracht Frankfurt, Glasner guided the German side to the Europa League crown, beating West Ham and Rangers along the way.
There is slight optimism that Palace could put themselves in contention for European football in the coming years if the core of this young and exciting group can stick together.
Watch the full interview with Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta on Saturday football pre-match this Saturday from 11 a.m.
