Mateta’s 97th-minute penalty completes hat-trick as Palace and Bournemouth share a six-goal Selhurst epic

Crystal Palace and Bournemouth delivered a breathless 3-3 that swung wildly from one extreme to the other and back again. Jean-Philippe Mateta was the headline act, dragging Palace level from 0-2 down with a quickfire brace before keeping his nerve from the spot in the 97th minute to complete a hat-trick. That wasn’t the final twist: in the ninth minute of stoppage time, he blazed over a chance that would have sealed an improbable win.

For long spells Bournemouth looked set to go top of the Premier League for a few hours, powered by a superb first-half brace from 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi and a late strike from Ryan Christie on 89 minutes. The visitors’ high press rattled Palace early, their fans chanting about being “top of the league,” but Oliver Glasner’s side roared back after the interval in a match that had VAR interventions, controversy, and drama to the last kick.

Teenage Kroupi fires Bournemouth into a dream start

Andoni Iraola’s team arrived on the front foot and were rewarded inside seven minutes. Justin Kluivert’s inswinging corner from the left caused chaos, the ball ricocheting off Maxence Lacroix as he challenged Antoine Semenyo and dropping perfectly for Kroupi to nod in at close range. Semenyo then forced Dean Henderson into a full-stretch save as the visitors’ press kept Palace penned back.

Bournemouth’s second goal showcased their pace and directness on the break. Semenyo left Chris Richards in his wake down the left and drove in a low cross that Marc Guehi failed to clear; Kroupi pounced on the loose ball and blasted home. It was a first half that Bournemouth controlled and fully deserved to lead 2-0.

Flashpoints and a shift in momentum

The second half’s tone was set by a flashpoint. Ismaila Sarr was sent through and felled by Marcos Senesi; after a VAR referral to the pitchside monitor, referee Jarred Gillett stuck with his yellow card. The decision rattled Selhurst Park but also seemed to rouse the hosts.

Just before the break, Djordje Petrovic had denied Mateta, but Palace truly turned after the restart. Daniel Munoz’s surge and cross teed up Mateta to halve the deficit; the goal was initially ruled out for offside before a swift review overturned the call. Suddenly, momentum had flipped.

Mateta’s five-minute salvo ignites Selhurst Park

Having pulled one back, Palace struck again within five minutes. Petrovic saved from Munoz at close quarters but Mateta, alert and precise, squeezed the rebound in from a tight angle to make it 2-2. Selhurst Park erupted, the comeback on.

Bournemouth steadied and continued to threaten on transitions. Senesi later appeared to shove Sarr as the forward bore down on goal, but again no harsher sanction followed, a theme on a day when marginal decisions carried major weight. Eddie Nketiah then had the ball in the net for Palace only for an offside to be correctly given.

Christie’s late sting, a disputed penalty and one last chance

The visitors thought they had nicked it on 89 minutes when captain Marcus Tavernier slipped a pass for substitute Ryan Christie, who rammed home from close range. Even then the plot refused to settle. Palace poured forward and, deep into stoppage time, Bafode Diakite was penalised for wrestling Guehi to the turf as a left-wing corner swung in. After another VAR check, Gillett’s penalty decision stood and Mateta buried it for his hat-trick.

Iraola was furious with the award, suggesting VAR had been influenced by an earlier incident, while Glasner hailed his side’s spirit. There was still time for Mateta to sky a gilt-edged winner in the 99th minute. Honours remained even: Palace sit eighth and Bournemouth fourth, with Mateta now on seven goals for the season, fresh from scoring on his first start for France in midweek.