The incident occurred just eight minutes into the match between the London rivals, when Roberts’ high boot struck Mateta in the head, leaving the Palace forward with a severely lacerated ear that required 25 stitches. Mateta was immediately substituted and taken to the hospital for specialist treatment but was discharged later that day.
“I am devastated by what happened,” Roberts said in a statement. “I unequivocally accept the red card and my punishment. It has been extremely distressing to see suggestions that I intended to harm a fellow professional. I have never stepped onto a football pitch with the intention of hurting anyone.”
Roberts also disclosed that he and his family had been subjected to an “unthinkable amount of abusive messages and threats” in the aftermath of the incident. He added that he had reached out to Mateta to check on his condition and that the Palace forward had reassured him, saying, “Don’t worry.”
The FA argued that the standard three-match ban for a straight red card was inadequate given the severity of the challenge. An independent panel agreed, extending Roberts’ suspension to six games. “The FA claimed that — in the circumstances — the standard punishment for this offense was clearly insufficient, and Liam Roberts subsequently denied this,” the governing body said in a statement.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish condemned the challenge during the halftime break, calling it “the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.” Meanwhile, Palace coach Oliver Glasner provided an update on Mateta’s condition, confirming that the forward would miss Saturday’s Premier League match against Ipswich but could return for the FA Cup quarterfinal against Fulham later this month. “He had no fractures or concussion. Healing from the huge wound is going as we expected,” Glasner said.