After his brace at Old Trafford to beat Manchester United, it is more apparent than ever that the club need to offer the forward fresh terms

Jean-Philippe Mateta was the hero for Crystal Palace as his brace earned a 2-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Frenchman, who had missed a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the first half, made no mistake with his first chance in the second as he was on hand to bundle in a rebound from close range in the 64th minute.

It seems bizarre to recall that after eight games this season, Crystal Palace had just three points and there were genuine fears they were in for a prolonged relegation scrap. Those concerns have proved unfounded as they have edged up the table to 12th and within striking distance of successive top 10 top-flight finishes for the first time since