🦁 Premier League Player of the Week: A whirlwind week continues...

Manchester United finally picked up a long awaited win at Anfield, Arsenal returned to the top of the table and Ange Postecoglou's spell at Nottingham Forest came to a swift and merciful end.

On a dramatic weekend of Premier League action following the international break, our standout performer was...

The Crystal Palace forward has certainly been in the headlines a lot recently - and this is no different.

Although the words are perhaps a little more positive than they were in the build-up to his side's 3-3 draw with Bournemouth.

It should have been a homecoming coronation for Palace's king, back after a successful first international camp for his country which culminated in his first goal for France.

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But his suggestions that former club team-mate Wilfried Zaha was among a group who openly mocked his dreams of pulling on the famous French jersey were met with fury by the current Charlotte FC forward .

All of that was quickly forgotten about though after a sensational performance at the weekend which showed exactly why he had earned his first France cap at the age of 28.

– Tuesday, 14 October 2025

The former Mainz man left with the match ball following a hat-trick which secured a point that had appeared unlikely both when they were two goals down with an hour played and again when they fell 3-2 behind.

Two instinctive close range finishes got him his first Selhurst Park goals of the campaign before the coolest of 97th minute penalties under intense pressure salvaged a share of the spoils.

In fact, he had a huge chance to win it at the death too but fluffed his lines on that occasion - a rarity in front of goal for Mateta of late.

– Saturday, 18 October 2025

"I'm very frustrated about that missed chance," he said afterwards, his first reaction being one of annoyance at his miss rather than basking in the praise of his prior heroics.

"But we did show our character and it is proof that we always believe in ourselves."

You can't blame him for being a tad irked as his 3.67 xG was the highest for any Premier League in the last decade and proof that perhaps he could have had more.

But nobody is perfect are they?

📸 Richard Pelham - 2025 Getty Images