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For most of this breathless encounter, Bournemouth supporters were relishing the prospect of going top of the Premier League, albeit potentially only for a few hours, and inflicting only Crystal Palace’s second home defeat of 2025.
Andoni Iraola’s impressive side had led through two goals from teenager Eli Junior Kroupi before being pegged back by Jean-Philippe Mateta and thought they had won it when substitute Ryan Christie scored with two minutes of normal time remaining.
But Mateta, who scored on his international debut for France in midweek, had other ideas as he converted a late penalty to complete his hat-trick, although he could even have won it had he converted a great chance at the death.
Much of the attention before this game had focussed on the men in the dugouts, with both Iraola and Oliver Glasner out of contract in the summer and coveted by clubs with much bigger budgets. The Bournemouth owner, Bill Foley, is due to travel to the UK before the end of the month to continue discussions with the Spaniard that will surely be even more of a priority given their incredible start to the season.
Palace also find themselves in the the top half of the table having failed to win any of their first eight games last season but showed once again the team spirit they have fostered under their Austrian manager.
Glasner has built his success at Palace on a watertight defence yet they found themselves behind after just seven minutes after an impressive start from the visitors. The speed with which Bournemouth’s front four pressed from the first whistle unsettled their opponents and it was from an early corner that Kroupi, starting only his second league game since arriving from Bournemouth’s sister club Lorient in the summer due to a calf injury to Evanilson, was able to head home the outstanding Antoine Semenyo’s flick on despite a suspicion of offside. “We’re top of the league,” sang the travelling supporters, probably in slight disbelief.
Mateta should have equalised from Yeremy Pino’s cross midway through the first half as Palace started to find some holes in Bournemouth’s new-look defence. At the other end, Semenyo was proving a constant menace as he forced Dean Henderson into a full stretch save after making space for himself inside the box.
An immaculate piece of control in his own half was the spark for Bournemouth’s second, with Chris Richards left for dead as he sped down the left flank and delivered a low cross. Marc Guéhi, who Glasner confirmed this week will leave on a free transfer next summer, could only divert it straight to Kroupi and Henderson was unable to prevent his volley from going over the line. It needed a last-ditch intervention from Djordje Petrovic to deny Mateta just before the break but there was no argument that Bournemouth deserved their 2-0 lead.
Palace began the second half with much more intent but a moment of controversy five minutes in hinted that it might not be their afternoon. Ismaila Sarr was clean through on goal when he was brought down by Marcos Senesi, although referee Jarred Gillett decided that only warranted a yellow card as he felt the Senegal forward was heading away from goal.
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After much deliberation from the video assistant referee, and to Glasner’s clear annoyance, the original decision stood. But Palace’s fortunes suddenly changed when the Mateta’s goal from Daniel Muñoz cross was initially ruled out for offside before being quickly overturned. Within minutes he had his second of the afternoon when he somehow turned the ball in from a tight angle after Petrovic had saved from Muñoz as Selhurst Park erupted.
Senesi escaped again when he appeared to shove Sarr over when he was bearing down on goal but Gillett waved away Palace’s protests. Eddie Nketiah had the ball into net but this time it was correctly disallowed for offside, with Christie thinking he had snatched the points after ramming home from close range. But Mateta ensured that honours ended even when Bafodé Diakité was ruled to have fouled Guéhi in stoppage time.
