For most of this breathless encounter, Bournemouth supporters were relishing the prospect of going top of the Premier League, albeit perhaps for only a few hours, and inflicting Crystal Palace’s second home defeat of 2025. Andoni Iraola’s impressive side had led through two goals from the teenager Eli Junior Kroupi before being pegged back by Jean-Philippe Mateta and thought they had won it when the substitute Ryan Christie scored with two minutes of normal time remaining.
Mateta, who scored on his first start for France in midweek, had other ideas as he converted an injury-time penalty to complete his hat-trick, although he missed a golden opportunity to win it at the death.
Defeat would still have been harsh on Bournemouth and Iraola embraced his opposite number, Oliver Glasner, at the final whistle in recognition of what must rank as one of the games of the season even at this early stage. Much of the attention beforehand had focused on the men in the dugouts, with both out of contract next summer and coveted by clubs with much bigger budgets.
The Bournemouth owner, Bill Foley, is due to travel to the UK this month to continue discussions with the Spaniard that will surely be even more of a priority given their incredible start to the campaign.
“If we get good results, we do a good season, then we will talk to the club and we will decide what to do next season,” said Iraola, who felt aggrieved that the video assistant referee did not intervene when the late penalty was given against Bafodé Diakité, having been overruled by the referee earlier in the match. “I am upset and I am angry because of their goal in the 96th-minute, I cannot accept it. Not to win it because someone called a penalty and I think the VAR was influenced by the previous decision. That is the only explanation I can find.”
Glasner, who said this week he has opened talks over a new contract but offered no assurances he will commit his future to Palace, did not agree. But this stirring comeback again illustrated the team spirit their Austrian has fostered. “We have created this in the team and in the stands, that’s why we were able to come back. It shows the character of this group,” he said.
The speed with which Bournemouth’s front four pressed from the first whistle unsettled their opponents and it was from an early corner that Kroupi, starting his second league game since arriving from Bournemouth’s sister club Lorient in the summer, due to a calf injury to Evanilson, was able to head home at the back post. “We’re top of the league,” sang the travelling supporters, probably in slight disbelief.
Antoine Semenyo was a constant menace as he forced Dean Henderson into a full-stretch save. An immaculate piece of control in his own half was the spark for Bournemouth’s second, with Chris Richards left for dead as he sped down the left flank and delivered a low cross. Marc Guéhi, who Glasner confirmed this week will leave on a free transfer next summer, could only divert it straight to Kroupi and Henderson was unable to prevent his volley from going over the line. It needed a good save from Djordje Petrovic to deny Mateta just before the break but there was no argument that Bournemouth deserved their 2-0 lead.
Palace began the second half with much more intent but a moment of controversy five minutes in hinted that it might not be their afternoon. Ismaïla Sarr was clean through when he was brought down by Marcos Senesi, although the referee, Jarred Gillett, decided that only warranted a yellow card as he felt the Senegal forward was heading away from goal. After much deliberation from the video assistant referee, the original decision was not reviewed. But Palace’s fortunes suddenly changed when the Mateta’s goal from Daniel Muñoz’s cross was initially ruled out for offside before that decision was quickly overturned. Within five minutes, Mateta had his second when he somehow turned the ball in from a tight angle after Petrovic had saved from Muñoz.
Senesi escaped again when he appeared to shove Sarr over when he was bearing down on goal. Eddie Nketiah had the ball into the net and this time it was correctly disallowed for offside, then Christie rammed home from close range after a quick break, seeming to have won it for Bournemouth. But Mateta ensured that honours ended even when, to Iraola’s disgust, Diakité was ruled to have fouled Guéhi in stoppage time and the striker kept his cool from the spot.
