How Jean-Philippe Mateta dismissed doubts about his future at Crystal Palace

For most of this season, Jean-Philippe Mateta has had to be patient. Even a hat-trick against Plymouth in the Carabao Cup was not enough to displace Odsonne Edouard as Crystal Palace's main striker.

But with Edward injured, he took advantage of an unexpected opportunity.

While the 26-year-old may have once hoped to move on in January after becoming frustrated with a lack of consistent starting opportunities, that is no longer a realistic possibility. Mateta's form, regular appearances and an already weak Palace squad means that even if interest from clubs in Germany is formalised, it is not expected to be interesting or exciting for the player.

The turning point for the Frenchman appears to have been a 2-2 draw with Manchester City, his first Premier League start in two months.

For his goal, he raced forward alongside Jeffrey Schlupp, betting that his teammate would create enough space to play the ball in front of goal, and when he did, he slid in from close range. Then it was his tenacity to win the ball from Bernardo Silva, followed by a shot inside the area and a quick reaction to a challenge on David Uzoh to win the penalty that led to Palace's equaliser.

Mateta scores against City (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

It was a performance that earned him public and private praise from manager Roy Hodgson, and – just as importantly – his support in matches ever since.

In the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, Mateta held the ball well – something that had previously been a source of frustration for fans, especially given his size – but there was also evidence of explosiveness in driving from deep. This is not something Mateta has shown often for Palace, but he has worked hard on it. Twice a month he works out with a personal fitness trainer, focusing on this as the main focus.

Then, against Brentford last Saturday, Mateta put on a display of all the things he does best. He was the focal point of Palace's attack, providing an outlet as they sought to break through. Passes came to him regularly, and he controlled them with his chest or passed them to a teammate.

The return of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise helped in terms of quality of service, but hard work was still needed from Mateta to get them into the game more. There may not have been any goals or assists, but he was decisive in the 3-2 win and linked up well with Olise.

“He has made huge strides, and all credit to him,” Hodgson said. “The things we do and ask of him haven't changed much. He's been a really important player and he's been involved in the last two or three games. Odsonne Edouard will have to play well to give him the competition that Mateta was giving Edouard at some point.

Mateta has long been considered a popular figure at Palace – he has scored important goals, all of which were celebrated with a trademark kick to the corner flag, and a Vengaboys-inspired chant was even created in his honour – but his future has been open to speculation.

There were encouraging noises about a potential new contract in the wake of Plymouth's treble in August, but nothing has come to fruition. One possible reason for this is its inconsistency. Mateta's best asset is his ability to take a shot and execute it accurately, but Premier League strikers must contribute in all aspects of the game.

Even this round of form, it wasn't enough. This can partly be put down to the lack of opportunities he has had to create momentum: this run of four consecutive starts is the longest of Mateta's Palace career and his overall metrics indicate an improvement in performance.

He has made the most of his opportunity and there is a feeling that he may change Hodgson's perception of him.

Hodgson believes confidence has played an important role in Mateta's development. “He has worked hard on his game, tried to take into account the work we do in training, the messaging and what we want to see from him,” he said. “He understood more and more as time went on (that I should do these things).”

“He's been involved in the goals, he's helped us score those goals and, like Edouard, he leads the line well and does the tactical things that help us play the attacking football we want to play. Hats off to him. I can't speak highly enough of him over the last four or five games. “Which was difficult.”

A start against Everton in tonight's FA Cup third round tie will provide a greater opportunity to prove his worth. Mateta has embraced this latest opportunity, but his long-term future remains uncertain. Ultimately, this will be determined by his level and how regularly he plays. If the latter becomes difficult to obtain, he may look elsewhere.

However, Mateta is thriving at the moment. What happens next is largely under his control.

(Top image: Ryan Pierce/Getty Images)