Frenchman gets Selhurst Park faithful back on side following January transfer saga with late goals from bench against Newcastle

Thom Gibbs

Senior Sports Writer,

at Selhurst Park

Based in London, Thom has worked at the Telegraph in various roles since 2010, becoming Senior Sports Writer in 2021. Since then he has covered two Olympic Games, two European Championships and a World Cup, in between ranking football kits. x.com/thomgibbs @thomgibbs.bsky.social

See more

Published 12 April 2026 4:15pm BST

When Jean-Philippe Mateta scores a goal for Crystal Palace he executes the same routine, a run to the corner flag and a fearsome flying kick. This results not in an immediate yellow card for wanton abuse of equipment, but a simultaneous shout from his fans.

“Boom!” they yell, to match the song they sing for Mateta to the tune of Vengaboys’ Boom Boom Boom Boom . Signature celebration complete with crowd participation, these are the hallmarks of a hero.…