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Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has condemned the challenge by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts that left Jean-Philippe Mateta hospitalised, describing it as “the most reckless” he has ever witnessed on a football pitch. The incident occurred just eight minutes into Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie, which Palace went on to win 3-1. Roberts was sent off after a VAR review confirmed he had caught Mateta’s head with his boot while attempting to clear the ball.
Mateta received extensive treatment on the pitch, including being given oxygen, before being stretchered off and taken to hospital. Providing an update on his condition, Parish revealed that the striker had suffered a deep gash behind his ear and a serious head injury.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that Mateta was conscious but had sustained a severe ear injury. He added that while he was pleased with the team’s progress, Mateta’s injury left mixed emotions in the camp.
Mateta had been in outstanding form, scoring eight goals in his last nine matches and netting 15 times for Palace this season. The 27-year-old also played a key role in France’s silver medal-winning campaign at the Paris Olympics last year. Parish compared the incident to the infamous 1982 World Cup collision between German goalkeeper Toni Schumacher and French forward Patrick Battiston, further criticising the referee for initially needing a VAR review to issue the red card.
Despite the emotional setback, Palace capitalised on their numerical advantage. Japhet Tanganga’s own goal put them ahead before Daniel Muñoz doubled their lead. Millwall’s Wes Harding pulled one back in first-half stoppage time, but Eddie Nketiah sealed the victory with a looping header in the 82nd minute, securing Palace’s place in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Preston North End defeated Burnley 3-0 in an all-Championship tie, reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1966. However, the match was overshadowed by controversy, as Burnley players refused to shake hands with Preston forward Milutin Osmajić before kick-off. The tension stemmed from allegations that Osmajić had made a racist remark towards Hannibal Mejbri in a previous encounter.
Despite the controversy, Osmajić started and scored Preston’s second goal, provocatively cupping his ear to the Burnley supporters in celebration. Robbie Brady and Will Keane also found the net as Burnley’s impressive run of nine consecutive clean sheets came to an end.
