Crystal Palace 3-3 Bournemouth: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Jean-Philippe Mateta hits Premier League hat-trick

Crystal Palace returned from the international break in dramatic fashion on Saturday, when they drew 3-3 with Bournemouth at Selhurst Park in the Premier League.

Andoni Iraola's Cherries made a quick start to the contest, racing into the lead courtesy of a strike from 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi - who was making his full debut in the top flight - with just seven minutes on the clock.

Eagles talisman Jean-Philippe Mateta then had the chance to equalise 20 minutes later, when Yeremy Pino picked out the striker with an excellent cross only for him to head wide from close range.

Kroupi then made the hosts rue their missed chances by doubling the visitors' lead shortly after with a volley into the bottom-right of the net at the end of a quick attack led by Liverpool-linked forward Antoine Semenyo.

As the half drew to a close, Oliver Glasner grew increasingly frustrated by Mateta, who missed another gilt-edged opportunity in stoppage time following a brilliant improvised overhead-kick pass from Marc Guehi.

However, the 28-year-old French striker was determined not to be outdone by his junior countryman and delivered a five-minute brace just beyond the hour mark to level the clash.

Mateta then stepped up to the plate to fire home his third of the afternoon when the referee awarded the hosts a penalty in second-half stoppage time, belying the tension as he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Palace had chances to snatch all three points in the final moments, and, as if to sum up the bizarre clash, Mateta once again missed a simple chance in the 99th minute.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Palace's club-record 19-game unbeaten streak came to an end prior to the international break when they were downed by David Moyes's Everton, and after going two-goals behind on Saturday, the Eagles will be hoping for some stability going forward before their excellent opening to the season goes to waste.

Glasner's men are eighth with 13 points as things stand, though they remain just one point short of the top five.

As for Bournemouth, they would have gone top of the table if not for Mateta's heroics, but they are still fourth with 15 points, level with champions Liverpool.

The Cherries will be disappointed to have surrendered the lead, but things are not all bad as they extended their own undefeated run to six matches and saw progress from Kroupi, who now boasts more goals (26) than any other player under 20 years old in Europe since the start of last season.

CRYSTAL PALACE VS. BOURNEMOUTH HIGHLIGHTS

7th min: Crystal Palace 0-1 Bournemouth (Eli Junior Kroupi)

Justin Kluivert takes an early corner for Bournemouth, delivering a cross with pace that manages to find its way to Kroupi despite hitting a Palace player on the way through, and the young striker heads home at the back post on his full debut!

38th min: Crystal Palace 0-2 Bournemouth (Eli Junior Kroupi)

Kroupi plays the ball out to Semenyo on the left flank from inside his own half, from where the forward drives deep into Palace territory before cutting the ball back towards the edge of the box, and though the cross was deflected by Guehi, Kroupi fires an impressively controlled volley to the bottom-right that beats Dean Henderson.

45+3 mins: Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) big chance missed

Tyrick Mitchell heads the ball down 30-yards out in the centre of the pitch, where captain Guehi produces a spectacular acrobatic bicycle kick pass through the Bournemouth defence, only for Mateta to see his tame shot saved by Djordje Petrovic from close range.

64th min: Crystal Palace 1-2 Bournemouth (Jean-Philippe Mateta)

Ismaila Sarr holds the ball up in the Cherries box before playing in Daniel Munoz on the right-hand side of the area, and the full-back whips a powerful cross in to Mateta, who directs a volley into the back of the net.

Game on!

69th min: Crystal Palace 2-2 Bournemouth (Jean-Philippe Mateta)

Daichi Kamada curls a precise pass to right-back Munoz just outside the six-yard box, and his shot is pushed by Petrovic across the face of the goal into the path of Mateta, who taps home into an empty net at the back post.

78th min: Eddie Nketiah (Crystal Palace) offside goal

The home crowd thinks that they have completed the comeback, but the linesman raises the flag to rule the goal out for being offside.

89th min: Crystal Palace 2-3 Bournemouth (Ryan Christie)

Substitute Ben Gannon-Doak plays a through ball to Marcus Tavernier near the touchline, and the versatile midfielder pulls a cross back to the edge of the six-yard box from the left flank that Ryan Christie pokes home into the middle of the goal.

90+7 mins: Crystal Palace 3-3 Bournemouth (Jean-Philippe Mateta)

Guehi is brought down by Bafode Diakite in the box, and the referee points to the spot, a decision that is backed up by the VAR.

Mateta steps up in an intense moment but makes a mockery of the pressure by slotting the ball neatly into the bottom-left corner and sending Petrovic the wrong way.

90+9 mins: Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) big chance missed

Nketiah lays the ball on a plate for Mateta to win the game with a fourth, but he skies arguably his easiest chance of the contest!

MAN OF THE MATCH - JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA

The Palace striker had a first half to forget on Saturday, missing two big chances while Kroupi netted a brace at the other end.

However, Mateta did not give up as he went on to rescue the Eagles with two goals in five second-half minutes, and a third from 12 yards in stoppage time.

CRYSTAL PALACE VS. BOURNEMOUTH MATCH STATS

Possession: Crystal Palace 52%-48% Bournemouth

Shots: Crystal Palace 20-8 Bournemouth

Shots on target: Crystal Palace 7-5 Bournemouth

Corners: Crystal Palace 6-5 Bournemouth

Fouls: Crystal Palace 8-16 Bournemouth

BEST STATS

Jean-Philippe Mateta (2) has now scored more Premier League hat-tricks than every other Crystal Palace player combined (1) in the competition's history. ?

◉ 64'
◉ 69'
◉ 90+7'

Keeping Palace's unbeaten home run in the PL going with a stoppage time equaliser. ? pic.twitter.com/3B04oDFclD
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 18, 2025

Each of Bournemouth's last 104 Premier League goals (excl. own goals) have been scored by players younger than 30.

19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi at the double today. ⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/wrL0VN2C6h
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) October 18, 2025

WHAT NEXT?

Palace return to Conference League action on Thursday when they welcome AEK Larnaca to Selhurst Park, while Bournemouth will host Nottingham Forest at the Vitality Stadium next Sunday.