Crystal Palace fans have a fantastic chant for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
To the tune of Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! by Vengaboys, it goes: “Boom boom boom boom, Mateta’s in the room, there ain’t no striker better, than Jean-Philippe Mateta.”
The song is obvious hyperbole – despite Mateta being compared to Ronaldo last week – and used by Crystal Palace fans as a way to inject confidence into the £9m man.
However, there is one striker down at the very bottom of the Premier League who believes he is genuinely better than Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Adam Armstrong puts himself above Jean-Philippe Mateta
Adam Armstrong has taken part in a video with Utilita Football in which he pits himself against strikers across the Premier League.
The Southampton No.9 was asked whether he thinks he is better than Matheus Cunha, Liam Delap, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Mateta to start the video, putting himself above all four.
For context, Armstrong has two goals in 12 Premier League games so far this season, whereas Cunha has seven in 14, Delap six in 15 and Mateta four in 15.
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It seemed as if the man from West Denton was joking and was simply going to name himself for each question, but he then conceded that Jamie Vardy is better.
How Mateta was faring at Crystal Palace by December of last season
Of course, Mateta’s stunning form at the end of last season – in which he scored 13 goals in the final 13 Premier League outings – may have dried up a little, but it is worth comparing where the Frenchman was at this stage of last season to now.
Coincidentally, it took Mateta until December 9th – the same date as today – to score his first Premier League goal last season, which came from the penalty spot against Liverpool at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace's French striker #14 Jean-Philippe Mateta waits before scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the English Premier Lea...
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
So, for the Frenchman to have four Premier League goals by the same stage of the season this time around is actually quite the improvement.
Should attacking reinforcements be made to help Mateta in January – Rayan Cherki is a target for Crystal Palace – then we see no reason why the man from Sevran cannot match last season’s total of 16 goals in 35 Premier League appearances.
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