Crystal Palace's genuine struggles earlier in the season feel like a million miles away today, as new boss Oliver Glasner has transformed the south London outfit since his arrival.
Instead of dull, soul-draining football that inevitably led to more defeats than victories under the old guard, the Austrian has his side playing to the very edge of their abilities and has been picking up points as a result.
Manchester United might be in a bad spot at the moment, but the way in which Palace tore them to shreds on Monday is indicative of how Glasner wants his team to approach games, and if he gets the proper backing going forward, he could lead a serious charge up the table in the coming seasons.
That said, while additions will have to be made, several players have proven themselves invaluable over the last few months, such as Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze. However, there is another star who deserves just as much praise.
Olise and Eze's performances this season
Even though they have received plenty of justified praise lately, the incredibly talented pair's season hasn't been easy, as both have had to endure their own injury problems.
For example, the former has made just 17 appearances so far due to a hamstring problem, while the latter has been slightly more available, making 29 appearances but suffering from a muscle injury at the start of the year.
Yet, despite injuries disrupting their respective campaigns, the pair have been truly scintillating whenever they've made it onto the pitch, with the Frenchman racking up nine goals and four assists so far, while the Englishman has an equally impressive haul of eight goals and five assists to his name.
Appearances
17
29
Goals
9
8
Assists
4
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.76
0.44
The pair haven't just scored the third in a 3-0 win or consolation goals either; they have scored some massively important goals for the team.
For example, Olise found the back of the net in the Eagles' 3-2 win over Sheffield United, their 2-2 draw with Manchester City, twice in their 3-1 win over Brentford, and the 4-0 drubbing of United earlier this week. For his part, Eze scored in the 1-0 win over Liverpool, bagged a brace against the Blades, and scored the other goal in the 2-2 draw at the Etihad.
In essence, for as good a job as Glasner is doing at Selhurst Park, he owes a lot to the incredible talent of these two superstars in the making, and yet there is another regular starter who should be getting just as much praise for his displays since the turn of the year.
Jean-Philippe Mateta's performances this season
The player in question is none other than French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. He's been in imperious form in 2024, and while he is winning plenty of plaudits, he should be getting even more.
Last season, the 26-year-old endured a terribly disappointing campaign in South London, scoring two goals and providing no assists in 32 first-team appearances – 24 off the bench – so there was very little expectation that he would come good this year.
In fact, former manager Roy Hodgson still favoured fellow Frenchman Odsonne Edouard for the early part of the season until injury saw him leave the team and never really come back in due to the former Mainz man's form.
Appearances
32
37
Goals
2
15
Assists
0
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.06
0.51
In his 37 first-team appearances this season – 11 of which have been off the bench – the "superb" Palace ace, as described by journalist Daniel Hussey, has scored 15 goals and provided four assists, meaning he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games.
This incredible upturn in form has led to the club awarding the 6 foot 4 titan their Player of the Season Award. So, while he might not fetch a fee as hefty as Olise or Eze, he has proven to be just as crucial to Glasner's current side.
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