‘We need him’ – Glasner delighted as Palace star ends goal drought

Oliver Glasner admitted Crystal Palace “need” Jean-Philippe Mateta after the striker ended his Premier League goal drought in a hard-earned 1-1 draw with Fulham on New Year’s Day.

Palace had been searching for a spark after a difficult run of results, and Mateta’s first-half header looked set to deliver a much-needed win before Tom Cairney’s late equaliser ensured the points were shared at Selhurst Park. Despite extending their winless run to six matches in all competitions, Glasner was encouraged by both the performance and the return to form of one of his most important attacking players.

Mateta had gone the entire month of December without scoring in the Premier League, a barren spell that mirrored Palace’s wider struggles in front of goal. His instinctive header, however, offered a timely reminder of his value to the side.

“I’m pleased for him and also for JP, of course,” Glasner said, speaking to Palace TV. “He didn’t score for a couple of games and now it was a great header, being there where the No. 9 has to be, scoring the goal, and this will help him, this will help us.

“We know that we need JP’s goals,” he added, also praising Nathaniel Clyne for his delivery. “It was a great ball in.”

Glasner felt Palace were good value for their first-half display, even if Fulham’s late pressure ultimately earned them a point.

“I think the first half was really okay,” he said. “We did well and created a few chances, but at the end Fulham made so much pressure that they deserved this point.”

The draw may not have ended Palace’s winless run, but it did provide a platform to build on after a testing period marked by injuries and heavy fixture demands. Fulham pushed hard late on, with Dean Henderson forced into a crucial save to preserve the point, underlining the collective effort required to grind out results.

For Glasner, avoiding defeat at the start of 2026 was an important psychological step as Palace attempt to stabilise their form.

Looking at the campaign as a whole, Glasner offered a balanced assessment of Palace’s progress. Despite slipping to 10th in the table, the Eagles remain just three points off the top six at the halfway stage.

“Challenging, to be honest,” Glasner said. “We have 27 points, so 0.5 points better than last year. If we do the same, we have a new points record.

“With all the circumstances — the amount of games, the first European experience and the injury situation — I think it was a great first half of the season.”

He acknowledged a clear split in form.

“The first part was excellent. If we had continued like this, we would be in the Champions League positions,” he said. “The second part, we had to pay the bill for all the games. We were not that fresh, and in the Premier League it’s not easy to get points.”

Crystal Palace now face a demanding run of fixtures, starting with Newcastle United and Aston Villa, before an FA Cup tie against Macclesfield Town and a league meeting with Sunderland. Glasner will hope Mateta’s goal can reignite confidence as Palace look to turn competitive performances into victories.

Can Jean-Philippe Mateta’s return to scoring form be the catalyst Crystal Palace need to push back towards the top six in the second half of the season?