Although he made his mark by finishing the campaign strongly, Mateta got down to business back in August by netting three times against Plymouth Argyle as Palace came back from two goals down in Devon.
They were the finishes of a striker in real confidence, and the club's first hat-trick since Dwight Gayle in the same competition eight years earlier.
In the Premier League, he was demonstrating that he could be a provider as well as a finisher, netting three assists in two games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa – including a delightfully inventive flick around the corner for Odsonne Edouard against the former.
It was only a matter of time before the goals arrived.
