Mateta talks through his fantastique finish
Even by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s sky-high standards, Wednesday evening’s goal at the Emirates Stadium was a special one.
Little under five minutes after entering the field of play as a late second-half substitute, Mateta seized onto a loose backpass, rolled Martin Ødegaard and chipped David Raya with a sublime effort to earn Palace a 2-2 draw against title-chasing Arsenal.
The forward – now on 14 Premier League goals for the season – said: "When I started on the bench, I watched the first-half. He [David Raya] was very high, so I knew when I came on the pitch if we won the ball high, I could try – so I did, and scored!
“Yes [it’s one of the best goals of my career]. I was scared when the ball hit the crossbar, and I just waited – and after the ball goes in!"
Palace were good value for their point at the Emirates Stadium, having created more clear openings than their hosts – and delivering an overall strong performance heading into Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa at Wembley.
Mateta admitted: "Today we just stuck to our plan. We have struggled for the last three games, but we just listened to the gaffer and today was a good game for us.
"I think we have confidence now [for Saturday] and hopefully we can win this. It is a very good game for the fans, for us, for everybody, and I can’t wait to play on Saturday.
"I think we're ready. I hope the fans are ready too – we need them!
“I am very happy. I hope I will score a lot more goals. 14 [Premier League] goals [this season] is good – but I hope I will score a lot more."