Crystal Palace have produced plenty of memorable goal celebrations over the years, from spontaneous moments of emotion, to routines that have become instantly recognisable among supporters.
After Adam Wharton celebrated his first goal in 94 appearances for Palace with an acrobatic backflip against Brentford on Sunday, we’ve looked back at some of the Eagles’ most iconic celebrations.
From Jean-Philippe Mateta’s corner-flag kick and Eberechi Eze’s trademark cross gesture, to unforgettable moments from Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend and more... check out our best picks – in no particular order – below!
With a place in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on the line and Palace without injured top scorer Glenn Murray, Wilfried Zaha delivered one of the defining performances of his career against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium during the club’s 2012/13 promotion-winning campaign.
After Yannick Bolasie’s cross picked him out at the back post, Zaha stooped low to guide a diving header beyond Tomáš Kušnír and into the net in front of the travelling Palace support.
He immediately slid across the turf before springing back to his feet to celebrate directly in front of a euphoric away end, arms spread wide as teammates rushed over to join him.
As the noise from the Palace supporters grew louder, Zaha pointed towards the sky in a celebration which has become one of the enduring images from that famous night on the south coast!
Just a handful of months after “Crystanbul” – one of the most memorable matches in Selhurst Park history, eminently forgettable if you're a Liverpool fan – the Merseysiders endured another difficult afternoon in SE25.
Brendan Rodgers' side took a second-minute lead but found themselves trailing late in the second-half after goals from Dwight Gayle and Joe Ledley turned things around.
And the game was well and truly Palace's when captain Mile Jedinak stepped up from distance and curled a superb free-kick beyond a despairing Simon Mignolet into the top corner.
Jedinak immediately spun away towards the halfway line, grabbing the Palace badge on his shirt and roaring in celebration as teammates converged around him.
The reaction from both players and supporters reflected that passion on show. For that, Jedinak's celebration makes it into this list!
And whilst we haven't quite included it as its own separate entry, whilst we're on the topic of Liverpool...
With Palace leading 1-0 away at West Bromwich Albion and looking to secure a vital three points in the battle for Premier League survival during the 2017/18 campaign, Andros Townsend produced one of the club’s great solo goals at The Hawthorns.
Picking the ball up deep inside his own half after winning possession, Townsend surged forward almost the entire length of the pitch before cutting inside and smashing a superb low finish beyond Ben Foster's near post.
After completing the run, Townsend initially raised both arms in celebration before collapsing onto the turf in exhaustion just moments later, with teammates quickly arriving to surround him. The celebration perfectly captured the effort behind the goal, with Townsend having carried the ball from one end of the pitch to the other virtually unaided.
The origins of Mateta’s now-famous corner-flag celebration can be traced back to Palace’s trip to fierce rivals Brighton in January 2021.
With the match played at the Amex behind closed doors during COVID restrictions, Mateta announced himself with a moment of improvisation for his first Palace goal. Meeting Jordan Ayew’s low cross with his back to goal, the striker pirouetted before flicking a clever backheel beyond Robert Sanchez at the near post.
Mateta then sprinted towards the corner and delivered a powerful kick to the corner flag – the first appearance of the now-iconic “Boom!” celebration.
Although Christian Benteke’s stoppage-time winner would ultimately seal the victory, Mateta’s celebration marked the beginning of a routine which has since become synonymous with the striker.
Conor Gallagher capped another influential performance during his Palace loan spell in the 2021/22 season by scoring in a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Selhurst Park.
After his strike took a heavy deflection on its way beyond José Sá, Gallagher celebrated by recreating the trademark spinning “roulette” move associated with his older brother Jake, who had gone viral in non-league football for regularly performing the routine after goals for National League South side Dorking Wanderers.
Gallagher spun repeatedly in quick succession before turning towards the Holmesdale, bringing a family celebration style to Selhurst Park in a moment supporters immediately recognised and embraced.
Marc Guéhi opened the scoring as Palace defeated Everton 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals during the 2021/22 season to secure a place at Wembley under Patrick Vieira.
The defender met Michael Olise’s in-swinging corner with a firm header before racing away towards the television cameras. Guéhi kissed his finger, pointed directly down the lens and framed the camera shot with his hands as Selhurst Park erupted around him.
The goal set the tone for one of Palace’s standout performances of the season and helped secure the club’s first FA Cup semi-final appearance since 2016.
Eze added Palace’s third goal during a superb 5-1 win away at Leeds United on Easter Sunday in 2023, before unveiling one of his most memorable celebrations.
After calmly stabbing the ball beyond Illan Meslier one-on-one, Eze removed his boot and pointed it directly towards the television cameras before performing his now-familiar sign of the cross celebration.
The moment was linked to the launch of Eze’s personalised boots, designed as a tribute to his upbringing playing football in the cages around Greenwich.
From the colourway inspired by his first grassroots side to references to the Royal Observatory, the boots carried personal significance – making the celebration both a reveal and a reflection of his roots and faith.
Michael Olise completed Palace’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Manchester United at Selhurst Park towards the end of the 2023/24 season with a clinical near-post finish.
After Palace won possession high up the pitch through Daniel Muñoz, Olise shifted inside and surprised Andre Onana with a driven effort into the near corner before sprinting straight towards manager Oliver Glasner on the touchline.
Following the match, Glasner explained he had encouraged Olise in previous weeks to vary his finishing and target the near post more often, making the celebration a direct acknowledgement of that conversation between player and manager.
The pair embraced in front of the Selhurst Park crowd as Palace completed a first-ever Premier League double over United – unforgettable...
Deep into stoppage-time against Newcastle United during the opening months of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Daniel Muñoz scored his first Palace goal to rescue a point at Selhurst Park and move the Eagles out of the relegation zone.
With Palace pushing for an equaliser after an unfortunate own-goal had put Newcastle ahead against the run of play, Guéhi delivered a deep cross towards the back post where Muñoz arrived to power a header beyond Nick Pope in the 94th minute.
Muñoz immediately raced towards the corner in celebration as Selhurst Park erupted, throwing both arms into the air while teammates sprinted the length of the pitch to join him.
Moments later, Glasner charged from the technical area to celebrate alongside his players in front of the Holmesdale, showcasing both the importance of the goal and the unity building within the squad during a tough period in the season.
There could hardly have been a bigger stage. With Palace appearing in the FA Cup Final at Wembley in 2025, Eze produced the defining moment against Manchester City.
After Mateta released Muñoz down the right, the Colombian delivered a low cross which Eze swept first time beyond Stefan Ortega to give Palace the lead inside the opening 20 minutes.
As the Palace end erupted behind the goal, Eze sprinted towards the corner flag before dropping to his knees and looking skywards, making a prayer gesture before being embraced by teammates. Guéhi, Muñoz and Chris Richards all pointed upwards as they joined the celebrations around him in front of thousands of Palace supporters at Wembley.
Eze then rose to his feet, pointed towards the sky once again and appeared to mouth “Only God” directly into the television cameras – a celebration which quickly became one of the defining images of Palace’s historic FA Cup triumph.
A fitting way to conclude our list!
