FA Cup: Mateta taken to hospital after horror tackle during Crystal Palace win over Millwall

Eagles striker carried off on stretcher following ‘reckless’ challenge by goalkeeper Liam Roberts

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Fifth Round - Crystal Palace v Millwall - Selhurst Park, London, Britain - March 1, 2025 Millwall's Liam Roberts fouls Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta and is later sent off REUTERS / David KleinShow less

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was taken to hospital with a head injury after a horror tackle by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts in their FA Cup fifth-round clash at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The incident occurred after just seven minutes with the score at 0-0 when Roberts rushed out from his goal, leg extended, to meet a through ball and kicked Mateta in the head with raised studs.

Roberts was shown a red card, following a VAR review, by referee Michael Oliver while Mateta received treatment on the pitch and was given oxygen before being carried off on a stretcher.

Palace would go on to win the game 3-1 and book their place in the last-eight draw.

“So far what we know is he's got a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury, obviously he's at the hospital, so we hope for the best,” said Palace chairman Steve Parish to the BBC at half-time. “There's a lot of emotion in football but we need to talk about that challenge.

“In all the time I've watched football I haven't ever seen a challenge like it. I looked to see how old the keeper was, he's 30 years old. I mean that is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I've ever seen.

“And I think he needs to have a long, hard look at himself that lad, because he's endangering a fellow professional, maybe even his life, with a challenge like that.

“It's very difficult for me to talk about the rest of the game because obviously we're worried about JP, and it's just a terrible, terrible challenge.

“They're all professionals out there and they've got to treat each other like professionals and have a duty of care towards their fellow professional and that goalkeeper hasn't had one.”

Palace took the lead thanks to a when Japhet Tanganga headed a Will Hughes cross into his own net just after the half-hour mark.

Daniel Munoz poked the ball into the net from close range when it fell into his path after bouncing off the luckless Tanganga.

Wes Harding gave the Championships side some hope when he scored in the 13th minute of firsth-half added time, caused due to the hold up for the stricken Mateta.

Substitute Eddie Nketiah sealed Palace's quarter-final spot when the former Arsenal striker headed in off the post with eight minutes to go.

Osmajic taunts Burnley fans after goal

Milutin Osmajic taunted Burnley fans after his goal helped Preston into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1966 with a 3-0 win at Deepdale.

Osmajic got Preston's second late in the first half after Robbie Brady's outstanding free-kick had put North End in front in the 31st minute, and Will Keane added a third midway through the second half as Preston put an emphatic end to Burnley's 23-game unbeaten run.

It was only the second time Scott Parker's promotion hopefuls had conceded more than once in a game this season, the other a 2-0 LeaCup defeat to Wolves in August.

It had seemed inevitable that Osmajic should play a leading role in the drama of this all-Championship tie.

When these two sides met here in the league two weeks ago, the match ended with Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri accusing Osmajic of racially abusing him, allegations which Osmajic denies and remain the subject of an FA investigation.

Parker left Hannibal out of his match day squad in order to protect the 22-year-old, one of nine changes to the side that thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 last week, but Paul Heckingbottom kept Osmajic in.

“The real basics of the game didn't happen for us today,” said Clarets manager Parker after the game. “We tried to chase the game a little bit but it is fair to say that the better team won today. We were just a little bit short.

“I understand that we were a little bit short due to the conditions, the pitch but that's just the way it was. We'll regroup now, we'll learn from it. We'll head on now to the main mission and get ready for Tuesday night [away at Cardiff City].