Jean-Philippe Mateta had been having a great game, showing his physicality and was good going forward and caused problems for Millwall to keep an eye on.
Then on 8 minutes, Jean-Philippe Mateta went through on goal when Liam Roberts came charging off his line and went in with a challenge that belonged in WWE.
Oh my lord Mateta just got absolutely wiped out by Roberts! Easiest red card you’ve ever seen 😭😭
Oliver didn’t see it from like 5 yards away obviously 🙄 #PALMIL #FACup pic.twitter.com/a3jkq9hsil
— SteMUFC (@EssentialManUTD) March 1, 2025
pic.twitter.com/LFV3GyFEM1
— Jonny⚡️ (@J__CPFC) March 1, 2025
“That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.”
Crystal Palace chairman and co-owner Steve Parish has spoken about Millwall keeper Liam Roberts’ challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta. pic.twitter.com/gkcR9IMSEI
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 1, 2025
We all are with you Jean-Philippe Mateta❤️ Speedy recovery pic.twitter.com/zq9UjEOUCc
— The Reply Guy on X (@FootballStage_1) March 1, 2025
A message from JP 🥹
We love you. #CPFC pic.twitter.com/nyooljhftw
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) March 1, 2025
VAR looked at it and Millwall were made to play the rest of the tie with 10 men as Liam Roberts was shown a red card after referee Michael Oliver was told to watch the incident on his pitchside monitor.
“Let him die, let him die, let him die.”
Millwall are also facing a probe from the FA (Football Association) after fans aimed homophobic chants at Ben Chilwell.
Millwall supporters sang ‘Chelsea rent boy’ at Chilwell, with ‘rent boy’ is slang for a young male prostitute, and a chant has long been aimed at Chelsea players from various opposition teams over the years.
“Millwall fans are not endearing themselves with anyone with those chants about Mateta.”
“Wow. That was a big decision from Liam Roberts. Jean-Philippe Mateta gets clattered. He doesn’t anticipate the keeper coming to win this ball. I think Roberts does win it, but that was a high left foot. He wins the ball first, but the follow-through catches Mateta on the head. A huge shame. For Liam Roberts and the game because it has started at a good pace. Two teams in great form, but this moment is going to define this game. It has given Millwall an uphill battle.”
There was concern around Selhurst Park for Jean-Philippe Mateta who had stayed down getting treatment a good five minutes.
Jean-Philippe Mateta then got carried off on a stretcher towards a waiting ambulance inside Selhurst Park.
Millwall fan enters the home section on the end and gets a good hiding…
What was he thinking? 😨 pic.twitter.com/cR77J2SvR5
— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) March 1, 2025
試合どころではない今日のバックスタンド。
試合が始まっても収集つかず#CRYMIL #パレス #ミルウォール #Palace #Millwall pic.twitter.com/BcjfaI0T1G
— 🏴ロンドン在住Roy (@Roysfootball) March 1, 2025
Oliver Glasner has provided an update on Jean-Philippe Mateta.
We are wishing you all the best, JP 🦅🥰#CPFC pic.twitter.com/k90RDMsM2k
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) March 1, 2025
👋🏾 #Millwall keeper sent off #CPFC#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/2kjCD309fB
— Dave🇬🇧 (@Mr_Dave_Sho) March 1, 2025
Jean Philippe Mateta carried off.
You have to wonder how Michael Oliver missed Liam Roberts’ high boot in the first place.
Blatant red card #MillwallFC #CPFC #CrystalPalace #FACup #PremierLeague #EFL pic.twitter.com/6Vrm1qx8pA
— Justin Allen (@justinallen1976) March 1, 2025
“Mateta is stretchered off to a standing ovation and the Palace fans sing his song. Palace chairman Steve Parish is shown on the screens animatedly re-enacting that awful tackle to members of the Palace staff. Hopefully it is not too serious for Mateta.”
BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce had been left shocked by the chants coming from the away end during the early stages of their FA Cup game against Crystal Palace.
Palace went one up on 33 minutes after Japhet Tanganga, who had been having a good game, nodded past Lukas Jensen while trying to clear Will Hughes’ attempt.
The hosts doubled their lead on 41 minutes, Daniel Munoz pouncing from close range although was said to have looked to be in an offside position but the ball came off Japhet Tanganga before Munoz found the net.
Millwall got one back at the end of the first half, after Matt Turner parried an attempt, the ball fell for Wes Harding and he sent it home with the help of a deflection.
Palace made it 3-1 on 81 minutes to seal a place in the quarter final of the FA Cup, a lovely set-piece taken by Eberechi Eze ends with substitute Eddie Nketiah sending a looping header over Lukas Jensen.
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, speaking to BBC Sport about challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta: “A little worrying actually. We wish him a speedy recovery. We hope he is doing well and can re-join the team as quickly as possible.”
On Eddie Nketiah: “I expect that from him. He is a team player, never moaning or complaining. We are very proud of him, he is a top player.”
Nketiah, speaking to BBC Sport: “Sad for JP, hopefully he gets back soon. It was nice to get some minutes. Every player wants to play. We have a really good squad, a real togetherness. The fans are amazing here. One step closer.”
Oliver Glasner speaking to BBC Sport on Jean-Philippe Mateta: “He is conscious and he is in hospital. His ear looks terrible. It’s a very serious injury so we hope all the best for him. We are not really happy, we can’t be really happy. Of course, it’s a great win and into the quarter-finals but when you lose a player, especially with a foul like this, you have two different feelings in your stomach.”
“Honestly, I didn’t want to see it, I just watched it and it is terrible. I’m sure the goalkeeper didn’t want to injure JP in this situation, no player wants this. But f you got to the ball with this with this intensity, with the foot at that height, you can’t do it because it’s so dangerous and we all have responsibilities for our health. I don’t want to blame him but it is a terrible foul.”
“I didn’t see it like it was in the game, it was so quick, I could see the keeper had a lot of intensity, but he touched the ball first. But I could see it now in slow motion and it’s worse.”
On his player’s reaction: “The players did well until 55th minute in the first half. We controlled the game and the lead was 2-0 and we gave them unnecessarily the ball before half time and then all of a sudden it’s 1-2. They got back their belief. Second half wasn’t the best half, didn’t create a lot of chances but Eddie decided the game – an amazing header.
“Now after watching, it is tough to talk about game because I have this clip [of the challenge on Mateta] in my mind.
“Going to quarter-finals in the FA Cup , great achievement. Fingers crossed and hoping all the best for JP.”
On Eddie Nketiah: “He needs to get back into the rhythm. You need this rhythm in the competition, in competitive games. Keep gong stay in the game, waiting as a striker. They played a deep block and he had to wait and then he decided the game for us.
On whether Palace can win the FA Cup: “It’s winning the quarter-final. Lets see, the draw is tomorrow, lets see what team we will face. At the moment we are just waiting good news for JP. Hopefully he is back then.”
Millwall boss Alex Neil, speaking to BBC Sport on his goalkeeper’s challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta: “I think the ball went in behind, [goalkeeper] Liam Roberts has come out which he has done in many games he’s played. He’s misjudged it and caught the lad. He has mistimed it, he got sent off which at that stage made the game doubly difficult for us.
“I don’t think it is meant. I don’t think there is any intent, why would there be intent? We don’t want the lad to be injured. We wish him well and hope he is back on the pitch soon. It was a mistiming, he was sent off, he is disappointed and will hope Mateta is fine, which we all do.
“You are playing Premier League opposition on their own ground so it is a difficult task with 11 men. The nature of the goals probably disappoint me the most.”
Crystal Palace goalscorer Eddie Nketiah, speaking to BBC Sport: “I’m gutted for JP [Jean-Philippe Mateta]. He’s a big character and I wish him a speedy recovery. I’m happy we got the win for him and go into the next round.
“This is unfortunately football sometimes. I want to play minutes, I work hard every day to do that, and today I got the opportunity – not in the best circumstances.
“I felt good, I knew it was going to be a tough game, had to stay patient and when the moment came, I had to be ready to take it.
“I’m ready, I pride myself on working hard every day. I’m ready and hopefully more opportunities will come, I just wan to be out there and help the team.”
On whether Palace can win the FA Cup: “I’ve been able to experience that with Arsenal, so it would be nice to do it with Palace. We’re one step closer and if we do well in next round we’ll be at Wembley.”
: Millwall fans as classy as ever singing “let him die” to a player who’s just taken a face full of studs and is laying on the floor with a stretcher next to him. What a club 👏 👏 Such lovely humans.
: Every single one of those Millwall fans in the away end should be banned from ever attending a game again!! That chant of “let him die” is fucking disgraceful. Disgusting human beings
: Millwall are scum aren’t they. The chant of “let him die” is a disgrace.
: Millwall fans are fucking scum. Chanting “let him die” as Mateta is motionless. #CPFC
: Millwall are genuinely a scumbag club. Chants of ‘let him die’ while Mateta is on the floor getting loaded onto a stretcher after getting domed by studs to the head from Roberts. Honestly just liquidate the club.
: Millwall fans singing 🎶 let him die 🎶. Well done lads you have had your big moment on tv – made yourself look class
: 10 minutes in and Millwall show how classless they really are. “Let him die” when Mateta is receiving treatment on the floor. 🤮
: Milwall fans singing “let him die” while a player is treated by paramedics is proper grim
: Millwall fans really are the worst aren’t they. Who chants ‘let him die’ after their keeper has come out with a horrendous challenge and is destroyed by it. Absolute scum. #PALMIL
: Millwall fans are next level stupid. They’re booing Mateta as he’s been lead off on a stretcher after the Millwall keeper volleyed him in the head. Let’s not even speak about the Let him Die chants 😡 I mean do they think he dived & is just really committing to it? 🤣 #crymil
: Recap of Millwall vs. Palace first 10 minutes: Millwall keeper Liam Roberts sends JP Mateta to hospital in the dirtiest act of the season with a boot to the face. Millwall fans chant “fuck VAR” whilst Mateta receives attention for a serious head injury. Millwall fans chant “let him die” as he lays motionless on the ground. Millwall fans boo Mateta as he’s stretchered off and taken to hospital.
@Oscar56112948: Millwall fans are the worst going. Booing Mateta after he has been taken off on a stretcher. Grim fans
