Jean-Philippe Mateta faces Everton, reside on Sky Sports activities on Saturday, having reached double figures for Premier League targets this season together with his brace in Crystal Palace’s win over Manchester United. The striker continues to flourish beneath Oliver Glasner.
Because the Austrian’s first recreation in cost final February, a 3-0 win over Burnley wherein Mateta hit Palace’s third from the penalty spot, the 27-year-old has scored 23 occasions in 37 outings, placing him solely two behind Mohamed Salah in the identical timeframe and fifth total.
His complete has him in distinguished firm, a great distance forward of extra celebrated names reminiscent of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. It’s fairly a turnaround for a participant who solely scored 11 occasions in 80 video games for Palace earlier than Glasner’s arrival.
It helps, after all, that he’s lastly taking part in repeatedly.
Mateta, a £9m signing from German membership Mainz in 2022 following a interval on mortgage, was principally used as an alternative initially, solely profitable a beginning spot late in Roy Hodgson’s second spell in cost. Beneath Glasner, he has began 35 Premier League video games out of 37.
However Glasner has made modifications to Mateta’s position in addition to his taking part in time, serving to to maximise the striker’s output, conversely, by narrowing his remit on the pitch.
As per his warmth maps, a participant who beforehand drifted into vast areas to mix with Palace’s wingers is now far more targeted on central zones, the place he could be extra harmful. “He is amazing in the box,” stated Glasner after the win over Manchester United.
Mateta in contrast earlier than and since Oliver Glasner’s appointment
Mateta is having to cowl much less floor, serving to him to preserve vitality. And regardless of averaging fewer touches, he’s having an virtually similar variety of photographs as he was beneath Glasner’s predecessors. The distinction there’s that they’re coming from higher positions.
In keeping with Opta, he’s getting 3 times as many huge probabilities per 90 minutes. His photographs are price a median of 0.24 anticipated targets, up from 0.14 beforehand. His shot maps present fewer angled efforts and a better focus from the centre of the field.
Mateta is now having higher-value photographs, in keeping with xG
It follows, then, that he’s changing a far increased share of them. However the enchancment is down to raised service in addition to higher positioning. Glasner’s desire for a again three has helped on that entrance, permitting him to reconfigure his assault round Mateta.
There may be no need for Mateta to tug to the flanks when Glasner has wing-backs Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell occupying these areas.
That pair have in flip allowed Palace’s vast forwards, one in all whom is now Eberechi Eze, who beforehand performed in central midfield, to maneuver inside and function in nearer proximity to Mateta.
Mateta has extra attacking assist beneath Oliver Glasner
Eze is Mateta’s high supplier. The 26-year-old has arrange seven Premier League targets for him since Glasner’s appointment. However Mateta additionally receives common service from Munoz and Mitchell, with the previous laying on the second of his two targets at Previous Trafford.
Glasner has highlighted the significance of his off-the-ball runs too. GeniusIQ monitoring information has Mateta fourth within the Premier League for runs difficult the opposition’s backline this season.
Solely three gamers have made extra runs difficult the opposition’s backline
These runs are solely partly about placing himself in scoring positions. Additionally they require selflessness. “He makes so many runs where he doesn’t get the ball,” as Glasner put it not too long ago. Usually, the intention is just to create area for team-mates by stretching opponents.
Despite all of it, Mateta continues to go largely unheralded outdoors of Palace. Possibly it’s as a result of he’s considered as “old-fashioned” in type, to cite Thierry Henry, his coach finally 12 months’s Olympic Video games, the place he scored 5 targets for silver-medallists France.
At 6ft 3ins, sturdy within the air and glorious at holding the ball up, Mateta definitely has the qualities of a standard goal man. The tucked-in shirt provides to that aesthetic.
Saturday fifteenth February 5:00pm
Kick off 5:30pm
However he has turn into loads extra in addition to. It’s price noting that solely three of his 34 Premier League targets have come together with his head. 9 have come together with his weaker left foot. He additionally has a penchant for flicked, backheeled finishes.
One among his greatest weaker-foot efforts got here in elegant type in opposition to Ipswich in December, when he lifted a deft end over goalkeeper Arijanet Muric after leaving defender Jacob Greaves on his bottom with a fleet-footed stepover and a burst of acceleration.
There was an extra instance of his all-round improvement within the latest win over West Ham, when, in comparable circumstances to the Ipswich aim, having latched onto a ball in behind, Mateta elected to take his shot early, discovering the underside nook from outdoors the field.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Mateta scored each targets within the 2-0 win over Man Utd
Mateta began the season comparatively slowly after his exertions on the Olympics. However that dip served to focus on one other of his strengths: his mentality. “I benched him two or three times but he always stayed positive,” recalled Glasner final month. “He was always a good guy and kept working hard.”
His contribution at Previous Trafford was simply the most recent instance of his knack for scoring essential targets. Actually, since Glasner’s appointment, Mateta’s targets have been price 14 factors to Palace.
Proceed in the identical approach and, belatedly, Mateta could quickly begin to appeal to the acclaim his performances deserve.
Watch Crystal Palace vs Everton reside on Sky Sports activities Premier League and Principal Occasion from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm
