Premier League: Palace rescue late point against Leicester
Crystal Palace 2 - 2 Leicester City
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Jean-Philippe Mateta rescued a late draw for Crystal Palace, netting his second goal of the match with a 92nd-minute penalty that denied Leicester City their first Premier League win since their return.
Mateta had ended last season on a high, scoring nine goals in his final six matches under the guidance of Oliver Glasner, and his value to the team was evident again as his double strike saved Palace from what would have been a worrying defeat.
A closer look at the match
Jamie Vardy opened the scoring for Leicester midway through the first half, picking up a pass from Wilfred Ndidi, rounding Dean Henderson, and slotting the ball into an empty net.
Leicester extended their lead just 23 seconds after the restart, with Ndidi pouncing on a poor clearance from Palace debutant Maxence Lacroix, setting up Stephy Mavididi to blast the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Mateta pulled one back for Palace with a close-range effort from Tyrick Mitchell's low cross, which stood after a VAR check. As time seemed to be running out, a rash challenge by Coady on Sarr handed Mateta the chance to equalise from the penalty spot.
Both teams remain winless this season, but Palace will be the far happier side after narrowly avoiding what would have been their third Premier League loss.
Two points dropped for both sides
Peter, a Leicester fan, told us: "We just needed to manage the game better after going 2-0 up, which we didn’t quite do. There are definitely plenty of positives from the match, but if we’re being honest, it feels like a defeat – two points dropped. Sometimes, a point away from home can end up being really important, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the immedite aftermath."
Tom, a Palace fan, said: "I'm happy we fought back to get a point, but that was a concerning performance at times. We really need to secure our first win soon, or it could turn into a very long season. The whole club needs to avoid repeating the mistakes of last season and steer clear of a relegation battle."
