Crystal Palace

Ellie Killick
Fan writer

Image source, 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, external

Image source, Getty Images

Two Premier League heavyweights are set to face each other this weekend at Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City host Arsenal.

Both teams go into the fixture with different targets. For Mikel Arteta's side, it is about extending their lead at the top of the table. For Pep Guardiola's side, it is about closing the gap and keeping themselves in the title race.

It is a fixture being labelled a title decider by some, so we want to know who you want to win this Sunday's match.

Will you be cheering on the Citizens or getting behind the Gunners?

Make your selection

Alex Pewter
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

To rotate or not to rotate? That was the question Palace fans were asking prior to the Newcastle game on Sunday. With eyes on securing a European semi-final on Thursday, possibly against his nature as a coach, Oliver Glasner made five changes to the starting line-up - one forced by injury.

The Conference League dynamic is certainly leaving players with plenty to play for in terms of places, even in the Premier League, where mid-table is a certainty.

Perhaps there was no greater beneficiary than Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was gifted the start against Fiorentina due to a suspension and had the chance to capitalise on a tiring Newcastle as a substitute.

The debate now is whether the Frenchman has already put himself back in pole position to be Glasner's starter, ahead of record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen, with his three goals in two games, albeit two from the spot. Even if it is perhaps too soon to conclude that battle either way, Palace have landed in a very strong situation up top after toiling with one available option for most of the campaign.

In a wider context, Mateta's goalscoring return to the team has added to his historical accolades. With 59 goals, he's now the 16th highest scorer in the club's history, across all competitions.

Having netted his ninth and 10th Premier League goals this season, he is now the only player other than Wilfried Zaha to have scored 10 or more goals in a top-flight season on three separate occasions. The club have only had 19 such individual tallies across the Premier League and the old First Division - those two players make up 31.5% of them.

It's unclear whether Mateta has been fully accepted back into the fold by all fans after his failed move to Serie A in January, but he has already won back the vocal majority at Selhurst Park, if Sunday was any measure.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Newcastle.

Here are some of your comments:

Crystal Palace fans

Peter: Thought Jean-Philippe Mateta was back to his best, so heartiest congrats to him. Oliver Glasner made the right changes on the hour mark, and it was most definitely a change to get a result after a European game previously. COYP.

Lee: After a great start to the season, I began to wonder how we could stretch those good results out. But like every team in this league, you have your purple patches and your lean spells. It feels a bit like last season again – that belief is back. So I'm just going to celebrate and dance to my Glitch Disco remix!

Rich: Previously been critical of Glasner's substitutions, but against Newcastle he got them spot on. Mateta, Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada and Ismaila Sarr gave the side renewed energy and impetus and made it look like Newcastle were the team that had just played on Thursday evening. Fully deserved three points in front of a raucous crowd at the end.

Steve: Credit to Palace for a battling performance. So encouraging to see the team fight back from a losing position. The substitutions made such a big difference, and Mateta was like the Mateta of old. The run-in to the end of the season is looking so much brighter now.

Newcastle fans

Ritchie: Three weeks, no game, no change. The team is not a happy, harmonious team, they're not playing for Howe. Howe out, sorry. The game was insipid, pathetic, boring. We spent too much time passing backwards and sideways with zero intent. Another weekend spoiled. Feel sorry for the fans travelling to watch such dross.

• Would you stick with Howe? Tell us

Chris: Same old, same old this season. Can't blame fixture congestion for this one, and Howe has been given time on the training ground. Palace, on the other hand, played Thursday night. Poor in-game management to blame. With no mid-week fixture to consider, there is no excuse not to make subs early in the second half to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Management appear incapable of making proactive changes. Howe should have been replacing his assistants the past couple of years to keep things fresh, his loyalty will be his downfall. Such a shame if a club legend's time will end this way.

Adie: That game was just a tale of our season. Take the lead, concede and then go on to lose. Rinse and repeat. Big summer coming.

Lee: That game our season in a nutshell - take the lead and then meekly give up. Sad to say but Eddie's time has come - excuse after excuse all season and we're going to do well to end up in the top half, never mind Europe. He'll go down as a legend but his goose is cooked.

Pundits Pat Nevin and Ben Foster join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle United

• Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa

• Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham

• Chelsea 0-3 Manchester City

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Once upon a time, Oliver Glasner fretted about the limited options at his disposal as injuries ravaged his squad. Not any more.

The Crystal Palace manager turned to his impressive bench midway through the second half as he threw on Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta, and in doing so he changed the outcome of this game.

The trio all played their part in the turnaround, but Mateta will rightly grab the attention at the end of a memorable week for the Crystal Palace striker.

Not only did Mateta end his goal drought and produce a devastating display in the 3-0 win against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League quarter-final on Thursday, but he followed that up with a superb cameo against Newcastle.

It summed up Crystal Palace's mentality.

It would have been easy for the Eagles to be distracted by their European adventure, but this side showed they are very much still fighting in the Premier League, too, as they look to maintain momentum and push to finish as high as they can.

No wonder Crystal Palace supporters are daring to dream.

With an eye on May's Europa Conference League final in Germany, they repeatedly chanted: "We're on our way, on our way. To Leipzig, we're on our way."

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has been speaking after the win at Selhurst Park: "It's a deserved win because we applied a lot of pressure and kept believing. It was a very tight game, decided by fine margins. To get the turnaround and get the win is a lot of credit to the players. We had great impact from the bench again, which is good.

"It's not easy when you play every three days. Your energy levels are sometimes a bit low, so it helped us give some players rest. Others also did really well and worked hard. It is a boost for the players and a boost for Selhurst Park.

"It's not always easy to create momentum - and then you have to keep it and not throw it away. We are on track. We are looking forward to the last six and a half weeks."

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has been speaking to Sky Sports about the performance: "We wanted that win. We are very happy to have won, especially at home as well. It means a lot that we have beaten a great team.

"We still have European football as well so this gives us a lot of energy. We have a big squad [to cope with it]. I hope we win our the next game as well."

On team-mate Tyrick Mitchell making his 200th Premier League appearance: "I'm always happy when he finds me in the box. He is my guy, I've been with him for a few years now. He is a fantastic team-mate and a machine."

Crystal Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell also spoke to Sky Sports: "It was a nice feeling. I was a bit tired towards the end, but it was nice to see the fans celebrating my 200th game. It's hard but you want to play. I'm more happy being tired than not playing."

Did you know?

• Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored 31 Premier League goals at Selhurst Park, with only Wilfried Zaha netting more on home soil for Crystal Palace in the competition (32).

• Tyrick Mitchell made his 200th Premier League appearance for Crystal Palace, becoming just the fifth player in club history to hit that tally after Joel Ward (306), Wilfried Zaha (291), James McArthur (240) and Jeffrey Schlupp (220).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Crystal Palace's performance

What did you make of Newcastle's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen starts as Crystal Palace make five changes for the visit of Newcastle United.

Manager Oliver Glasner has shuffled his pack following the Eagles' 3-0 win against Fiorentina in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final tie on Thursday night.

Larsen, Brennan Johnson, Yeremy Pino, Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes all come back into the side.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes, Johnson, Stand-Larsen, Pino

Subs: Benitez, Clyne, Sosa, Riad, Kamada, Wharton, Devenny, Sarr, Mateta

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has also rung the changes the trip to Selhurst Park.

Howe has recalled six players after the visitors suffered a damaging Tyne-Wear derby defeat in their last game against Sunderland three weeks ago.

Tino Livramento, Malick Thiaw, Lewis Miley, Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy and William Osula all return.

Newcastle XI: Ramsdale, Livramento, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Tonali, Miley, Joelinton, Murphy, Osula, Gordon

Subs: Pope, Trippier, Wissa, Barnes, Elanga, Woltemade, Willock, Burn, Ramsey

Image source, BBC Sport

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Newcastle United - Listen on Sports Extra 2

• Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa - Listen on Sports Extra

• Sunderland v Tottenham - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Manchester City (16:30 BST) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Tottenham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Manchester City".

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

This game is sandwiched between both legs of Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League tie with Fiorentina and, now they are effectively safe from relegation, I wonder if boss Oliver Glasner will prioritise Europe?

That should increase Newcastle's chances but I'm not convinced by their recent form, especially on the road.

They have won on their past two visits to the capital, against Tottenham and Chelsea, but I don't see them getting three points here.

Eddie Howe needs a strong end to the season, but the fact they have lost both derby games against Sunderland, and are below them in the table too, is not really helping him.

I certainly don't think his job should be at risk, but there are a few fans who do.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Newcastle United need to inject some impetus into their toiling season on Sunday when they visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (14:00 BST) in the Premier League.

The Magpies have had three weeks to stew on their loss to bitter rivals Sunderland last time out. Eddie Howe's side have struggled for consistency this season, yet they remain just four points off the top seven going into the final stretch of top-flight games.

As for Palace, with Premier League safety virtually secured, their focus is on European competition - on Thursday they beat Fiorentina 3-0 at home in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final.

Palace priorities elsewhere?

There have been times this season when Palace's campaign has threatened to spiral out of control. But their depleted squad and departing head coach Oliver Glasner have just about kept things together.

The Eagles have a genuine shot at European glory in the Conference League, and that in turn would mean Europa League football next season. So it would be no surprise if Glasner's focus was mainly on the second-leg in Florence on Thursday.

Palace have found it hard to juggle their European and domestic commitments this campaign. They have only won one of their nine Premier League games that have immediately followed a Conference League clash.

That one success - against Wolves in Februrary - was also a rare one for the home crowd to enjoy - their only victory in the past 10 at Selhurst Park. Only Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur - both two - have fewer home wins this season than Palace's three.

A huge weakness for them in 2025–26 has been dealing with set pieces, and Newcastle do not represent an appealing match-up on that front.

Palace have conceded 43% of their Premier League goals this term from non-penalty set-pieces (15/35), which is the highest ratio of any side. Only Arsenal and Manchester United have scored more non-penalty set-piece goals than Newcastle in the same period.

Newcastle in need

At times, this season has promised plenty for Newcastle. But now it is on the brink of fizzling out.

The week before the recent break was billed as a huge one for the Magpies, and while it started well with a win at Chelsea, it quickly unravelled with a hammering by Barcelona and an agonising late loss to Sunderland.

With that in mind, the break may have come at a good time for the Newcastle squad. The same can be said for their manager Howe, who has been subject to increased scrutiny as the season has rolled on.

The Magpies boss is on the brink of a significant landmark at St James' Park, as he closes in on the number of wins accrued by legendary figures Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan.

Reaching the top of that list will count for little for Howe if Newcastle do not secure European football by the end of the campaign though you suspect.

Having struggled away from home earlier in the season, Newcastle may welcome a fixture away from St James' Park, where they have lost six of their past 10 matches in all competitions.

On the road, Newcastle's overall record leaves a lot to be desired, but there were signs of improvement before the Barcelona mauling, having won four of their previous five away matches.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr has stepped into the spotlight for his side amid a turbulent period marked by poor form, managerial uncertainty and major player departures.

The 28-year-old has remained at Selhurst Park despite the exits of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, while manager Oliver Glasner has announced he will leave at the end of the season. Jean‑Philippe Mateta also saw a deadline‑day move to AC Milan collapse in January after failing a medical.

Sarr's form has been a rare positive. His seven goals in his last 20 Premier League matches, along with four in seven Conference League games, earned him the club's player of the month award.

He also claimed goal of the month for a crucial strike against Tottenham, which helped ensure a recent dip in form did not develop into a shock relegation battle.

His finishing places him in the 81st percentile (before gameweek 32), while his performances at the Africa Cup of Nations helped Senegal win the tournament in Morocco – a title later stripped from them in the weeks that followed.

It leaves the forward, who is capable of playing across the frontline, attracting early interest from elsewhere, though he will still have three years remaining on his contract this summer.

It will be up to those at Palace to ensure history does not repeat itself, having previously lost key figures following recent success, including FA Cup glory last summer and a return to European competition for the first time in 18 years.

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Newcastle at Selhurst Park (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Glasner said attackers Jorgen Strand Larsen and Christantus Uche will be available for Sunday's match, but the club still need to assess both Jean-Philippe Mateta and Evan Guessand before deciding if they are available.

• Glasner confirmed Cheick Doucoure will not be available and that Eddie Nketiah will not play again this season.

• More on team news: "We are not planning to rotate massively. Firstly because I am convinced that the players are fresher. Secondly, the best preparation for a game is a good performance in the previous one. We want to go to Florence with a good performance and a good result."

• Glasner says he expects Newcastle to be the "fresher" side on Sunday given that they haven't played a match for three weeks, adding: "Eddie Howe's teams always play with some of the highest intensity in the Premier League, with so much pace".

• He spoke more on the Magpies' weak points: "They conceded quite a lot of goals in their last few games before the [international] break, they can often concede two or three goals. If we are sharp and play our style, I am pretty convinced we can create three or four chances and then it's about being efficient from it - and also controlling their pace."

Listen to full match commentary of Crystal Palace v Newcastle on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Palace? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Crystal Palace's 3-0 win over Fiorentina in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final.

Here are some of your comments:

Al: Palace of old - solid, dynamic and taking chances. Great result and feeling confident for a semi final place. The European dream is still on.

Andy: Great display, showed what they are capable of. Go on you Palace.

Steve: We were absolutely on fire in that first half, creating chance after chance with relentless service from the wings. It's some of the best football I've seen from Palace in a long time and we completely bullied them despite a few missed chances. The energy stayed high right to the end, with Munoz and Pino having a blast and that perfect Kamada cross for Sarr's header capping off a dominant performance.

Gary: Must be the best performance of the season. Dominating attacking performance apart from 20 mins in second half. We kept attacking to get the third goal when we could have settled for 2-0. I left the pub buzzing!!!

Gareth: Fantastic performance tonight from Palace. Mitchell was my MOTM with Sarr a close second. Probably Pino's most productive game since he arrived and changed the momentum in the second half. On our way to Leipzig.

Adrian: You can't stop us. European trophy next in the cabinet.

Paul: Fantastic performance, the best so far in the Conference League. Again, the officiating was awful, including the linesman somehow missing the ball bouncing over the line. Pino, once again, played well.

Hector: Great performance! Went to the game. Brilliant atmosphere and just played such nice football especially in the first half. Slouched off a bit between half time and the 60-minute mark but Pino was great when he came on. He brings flair - exactly what we needed. Also felt Canvot played extremely well and loved seeing him with loads of confidence. He looked like a different player from the start of the season. Through to the semi-final or is that a little to early to call?

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

If there were any doubts about Jean-Philippe Mateta's commitment to the Crystal Palace cause after his failed January departure, they can be pushed aside for now.

The Eagles are in uncharted territory in European competition, and the sight of flags, banners and a barrage of white streamers as the players entered the pitch only added to the sense of occasion.

After a campaign that has teetered on the edge of crisis on several occasions, a quarter-final tie against a Fiorentina side who have reached the semi-finals in each of the past three seasons could have been a step too far.

But Mateta's bullish first-half performance summed up a Palace display far removed from the laboured outings typical of their campaign.

Before tonight Palace had missed 36 of their 46 big chances in the competition, more than any other side, and had scored only 16 goals from an xG rating of 23.1, the greatest underperformance of any team.

But on Thursday Oliver Glasner's side scored when they needed to – twice when dominant in the first half and then late on to kill off a resurgent fight back.

Glasner has drawn plenty of criticism from Palace fans in recent months, but he should take credit for bringing Daniel Munoz into the XI and introducing Yeremy Pino midway through the second half.

Munoz provided much-needed width and quality from the right flank, while Pino's energy and drive helped Palace reestablish the press that had Fiorentina hanging on before the break.

Palace rode their luck at times, but three more performances of that ilk should see them reach a first European final in club history.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner speaking to TNT Sports: "More importantly for me was the performance, in the first half and then let's say the last 20 minutes. Brilliant, fantastic performance, great pressure, playing well and always attacking the box, the balls in behind. We knew that they are very compact but we were going in behind and creating so many chances, which was great to see."

On what he was frustrated about on the touchline: "We lost the ball too easily and quickly, the game was too wild, it was up and down, when you are 2-0 up, you should get more control. We had four or five easy ball losses and that gave the momentum to Fiorentina. I was pleased to see we didn't get frustrated against a very good team from Italy, kept our heads up and knew we could get the momentum again. In the end, we were really close to scoring the fourth goal and it was a great performance."

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta speaking to TNT Sports: "What a night. I dreamed about scoring that goal for nights. I did and I am so happy."

On whether he has a message to the fans: "They know me, I keep working hard. They know I am always here and hopefully we can finish the job in Italy."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Crystal Palace's performance

Come back on Friday for a selection of your replies

Oliver Glasner makes three changes to the Crystal Palace side that defeated AEK Larnaca three weeks ago.

Dean Henderson replaces Walter Benitez in goal, while Daniel Munoz comes in for Brennan Johnson.

With Jorgen Strand Larsen suspended, Jean-Philippe Mateta starts up front. Adam Wharton starts after recovering from an injury picked up during the international break.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Mitchell, Wharton, Kamada, Sarr, Guessand, Mateta

Substitutes: Benitez, Matthews, Lerma, Pino, Johnson, Clyne, Hughes, Sosa, Riad, Devenny, Cardines

Fiorentina XI: De Gea, Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens, Fabbian, Fagioli, Ndour, Harrison, Piccoli, Gudmundsson

Subs: Leonardelli, Christensen, Mandragora, Comuzzo, Fazzini, Kospo, Kouadio, Braschi, Balbo, Deli, Puzzoli

There are three Europa League and Conference League fixtures involving Premier League clubs on Thursday night - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Europa League: Bologna v Aston Villa - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Europa League: Porto v Nottingham Forest

• Conference League: Crystal Palace v Fiorentina

All kick-off times 20:00 BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentary on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bologna v Aston Villa".

The Premier League's return this weekend brings trepidation for some and excitement for others.

Football's emotional rollercoaster becomes intense at this time of year, unless of course mid-table mediocrity has taken a grip of things in recent months.

So how are you feeling as a Crystal Palace fan with just a handful of weeks left to go?

The league form reads: WLWLWD

The next three league fixtures are: Newcastle (h), West Ham (h), Liverpool (a)

Let us know how you're feeling here