Who needs a summer break? Little more than two weeks have passed since Jean-Philippe Mateta scored in the Olympic Games final for France and the Crystal Palace striker picked up where he left off in the previous campaign by registering his first two goals of the new season in what proved eventually to be a comfortable win against Norwich.
Mateta’s tally of 16 last season was the most by a Palace player since a certain Andy Johnson 20 years ago but, with the expected arrival of Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal for £30m, he could face a potential threat to his status as Oliver Glasner’s preferred leading man. After laying on Daichi Kamada for the opener in a blistering start by the hosts, the 27‑year‑old found the net twice in the space of a few second-half minutes – the first an outstanding volley – before Eberechi Eze added a fourth to see off Norwich’s spirited challenge.
