Luke's Football blog

Ever since Glasner came back in February, the players seem to look even better, none so much so than Jean Phillipe Mateta. Under his old managers there were glimpses of talent, but he has never made a namesake in the squad, usually playing back up to Edouard, but under Glasner he seems like a new person reborn.

At his old club, Glasner loved a sole 9 who acted as the vocal point of the attack. Looking at his old clubs, Wolfsburg and Frankfurt, he had Wout Weghurst and Kolo Muani, two players who managed to score bags of goals. Weghurst, in his 2 seasons under Glasner, netted 45 goals in all competitions for Wolfsburg, which soon earned him a move to Burnley for twelve million pounds. Kolo Muani was signed from Nantes in twenty twenty-two and in his first full season under Glasner he scored 23 goals in all competitions, picking up 15 assists as well, and his performances got him into the French side and secured him a move to PSG in the summer.

Glasner currently has Mateta playing a similar role to the strikers he had at his past clubs, acting as the vocal point of the attack with the talented Eze and Olise operating behind him, which is working very well as it has caused Liverpool problems and, more recently, West Ham, where all three managed to get on the scoresheet.

In the past, Mateta looked a big sluggish when he wouldn’t press, and he just didn’t look confident at all, but even since the new manager came in, he is pressing more and is looking more likely to score and with six goals currently so far for his side under Glasner, he is looking much more deadly.

In the summer there are talks of some attacking reinforcements, especially in attack, with Basel striker Thierno Barry and Arsenal Starlet Eddie Nketiah both being linked with a move to the eagles which will provide competition for Mateta and Edouard, who are currently the main strikers at the club currently.

Mateta is currently on track for double figures in goals this season, in which he will become the third striker for Crystal Palace to achieve that fate behind Andrew Johnson and Christian Benteke, who have both scored more than ten goals, with Benteke doing it again in the 20/21 season. Mateta, who is currently on nine goals in the Premier League this season, will surely be the next one to score ten in the league.