Key stats
- Jean-Philippe Mateta attempted 11 shots in this game, the highest total for a player in the Premier League this season
- Bournemouth have scored in seven of their eight games, no team has done so more often in the Premier League this season
- Bournemouth are undefeated in their last seven games in the Premier League, their last longer unbeaten streak was from November 2024 to January 2025, a run of 11 games
Highlights
Analysis
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his third hat-trick for Crystal Palace, but arguably should have had four.
An even and entertaining game saw the momentum swing both ways throughout the 90 minutes.
Match report
No PL club had a better HT record coming into this match than Oliver Glasner’s side, who had led in five of their seven games and were yet to concede before the break, yet within seven minutes, the Eagles were trailing.
Starting in the absence of Evanilson, last season’s Ligue 2 top goalscorer Eli Junior Kroupi was in the right place to touch over the line from a corner, profiting from Mateta’s goalbound defensive header at the front post.
An all-action first half continued after the breakthrough, with Mateta looking to make amends, heading a delightful searching ball from Yéremy Pino narrowly wide.
Missing a clinical touch, Palace were soon made to pay as Kroupi bagged another on his full PL debut, making the most of a sliced Marc Guéhi intervention to steer his side into a two-goal advantage.
Having marked his long-awaited France senior debut with a goal during the international break, Mateta was again denied from close range on the stroke of HT, leaving the Eagles with a considerable task in the second half.
An on-field VAR review looked likely to give Palace a huge boost soon after the restart, yet referee Jarred Gillett stuck with his original decision to award Marcos Senesi just a yellow card for a sliding challenge on Ismaïla Sarr, who was threatening to run through on goal.
The Eagles didn’t let that disappointment affect them, and in the space of five minutes, they were back on level terms.
The first goal was originally ruled out for an offside in the build-up, but after a VAR check, Mateta’s first home league goal of the season was allowed to stand, with the Frenchman turning home Daniel Muñoz’s fizzed cross.
Those same players combined again in the 69th minute, as Mateta slid in at the back post to net his second of the afternoon.
Selhurst Park was bouncing at this stage, and the Eagles were firmly on top as they pushed for another, almost taking the lead through an offside Eddie Nketiah.
A breathless PL fixture showed no signs of letting up, and in the 89th minute, Bournemouth broke Palace hearts as they restored their advantage through Christie, who arrived in the box to turn home only his fourth PL goal from a Ben Gannon-Doak cut-back.
Unbelievably, there was time for another twist in stoppage time, with Mateta bagging a dramatic hat-trick from the spot after Bafodé Diakité hauled down Guéhi in the box.
Incredibly, Mateta then skied a golden chance to win the game in the dying seconds, leaving Palace to settle for a point after producing an excellent second-half display.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are now seven league games unbeaten (W4, D3), rising to fourth but missing the chance to, at least temporarily, top the PL standings.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)
Post-match comments
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta to BBC Sport: "I want to win every game, even if I did score a hat-trick. It was up to me to score the goal (with a late missed chance), and I didn't score it, that is why I am like this.
"I need a few minutes to speak with the team and cool down, but now I am upset."
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola in his press conference:
"I think it has been an entertaining game. If we talk about football, we were better in the first half, and they were better in the second half. They punished us with their physicality.
"I cannot be happy, I am not pleased, I am upset, and I am angry because of their goal in the 96th minute. I cannot accept it.
"Not to win it because someone called a penalty, and I think the previous decision influenced the VAR. That is the only explanation I can find."