Crystal Palace and Bournemouth twice drew 0-0 last season, so of course they produced an epic six goals at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
From a hat-trick in the second half to his first start in the Premier League every £4.5m ahead of the season, we look back at a tense game.
EVANILSON’S INJURY GIVES CROUPI £4.5M FORWARD
Evanilson (£7.0m) unexpectedly missed out on an early Game of the Season candidate. A calf injury was the cause of his involvement on Saturday.
In huge confidence from Andoni Iraola, the Bournemouth boss gave the French teenager Namely, Junior Kroupi (£4.5m) first Premier League starter replacing Evanilson.
And boy, did he repay the faith, with two first-half goals to put the Cherries 2-0 up.
After the match, Iraola praised Kroupi’s ability to “smell the goal”. The 19-year-old newcomer absolutely wowed xG with his two predatory attacks (especially the first goal); on both occasions, he reacted first to deflected crosses.
Above: Two tries, two goals – Kroupi’s xG map in Gameweek 8
So what are the chances of a further start for the £4.5m forward?
First, a vague update on Evanilson’s injury from Iraola:
“He suffered a minor injury to the soleus [in the lower calf]. The MRI didn’t say it was a major injury but a muscle injury, [so you] never know. I think it’s similar to Brooksy. It’s not a big injury but we don’t know if it will happen in one, two, three weeks, I don’t know.” – Andoni Iraola on Evanilson’s injury, to BBC Solent Sport
He has given a vague timetable before, but, to be fair, Dr Google does suggest mild strains in calves will take 1-3 weeks to recover.
When Evanilson returned, Kroupi faced a huge task to keep his place. Perhaps he could make himself unbeatable by scoring more goals, but Iraola is a big fan of Evanilson’s all-round game, something he believes Kroupi needs to improve on.
“He is a player who has a very good relationship with his goals. Obviously, at a very different level, he comes from the French Ligue II, and this jump was huge to the Premier League. He absorbed all the information we gave him, he tried to improve in other areas where he was not as strong in the penalty box, because he is a great finisher. I am happy and happy for him because this will also give him more confidence.” – Andoni Iraola on Eli Junior Kroupi, to BBC Solent Sport
“Eva is a very important player for us. Apart from her goals, she gives us a lot.
“For Junior, being so young, the first starting option. He is someone who can kiss the goal, he is very brave to get the second ball from this kind of rebound. Today he scored both goals and I am happy for him.” – Andoni Iraola on Eli Junior Kroupi and Evanilson, to BBC Sport
We saw this a little bit in the last two seasons Enes Unal (£5.4m), someone who often comes off the bench in attack but still finds it almost impossible to beat his positional rivals.
MATETA CREATED A RECORD
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m) are ‘due’ to score goals, and three of them arrived on Saturday. Amazingly, he is still managed to underachieve on the xG front despite bagging a hat-trick:
Mateta took 11 shots in this match, the same number as that Ollie Watkins (£8.6m) has been registered throughout the season. This is a record that has only been beaten twice in one Premier League match.
A missed header in the 26th minute set the tone for a rollercoaster afternoon that ended in equally painful fashion when he failed to capitalize on a glorious chance in stoppage time.
However, in between, there are two interesting solutions Daniel Munoz (£5.6m) second cross and penalty of the season.
Above: Mateta’s 11 shots in Gameweek 8
Matchday 9 is not a good entry point for the Frenchman, as Palace are away at Arsenal (although he scored there last season!).
However, after that, with the basic numbers, reliable minutes, penalty-taking assignments, and game schedule, there will be plenty of interest:
MUNOZ DELIVERS AT THE SECOND END AGAIN
These two clubs are among the top six for defensive contribution returns (DefCon), so there is always the possibility that some name will produce a good return on Saturday.
There are five in all, including the DefCon poster Mark Senesi (£5.0 million). Chris Richards (£4.5m) is the first Palace defender to reach double figures in DefCon points in 2025/26.
Above: Players delivering DefCon points at Selhurst Park on Saturday
Munoz did his business on both ends of the court for the second week in a row. Its highly advanced position is nothing new; no one touches the final third anymore at Selhurst Park.
No FPL defender has had more attacking returns (four) or posted a greater xGI (2.62) than the Colombian this season. No fullback has more DefCon points (six). The complete package?
SEMENYO GETS AN ASSIST – CAN OTHERS FOLLOW?
Oliver Glasner called it “one of the best [ever] offensive performance,” and it’s hard to argue.
Bournemouth had conceded just nine big chances all season before Saturday; Palace scored seven goals against the Cherries.
Ryan Christie (£5.0m), as a substitute, he looked like he had scored the winner before Mateta’s late penalty.
There is no purpose for Antoine Semenyo (£8.0m), later, but another strike back into the column for his role in Kroupi’s second goal. He was also involved in the opening goal, which as far as we know, was still a ‘TBC’ assist – could we see a second, late return for the winger?
Senesi had an eventful afternoon, earning a DefCon point, missing a clean sheet and nearly being sent off when his yellow card was reviewed.
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