npm ERR! Cannot read properties of null (reading 'matches')

This error occurs when the npm command is executed with an invalid argument or when the npm installation is corrupt.

To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:

Update npm to the latest version by running the following command:
```
npm install -g npm@latest
```
Clear the npm cache by running the following command:
```
npm cache clean --force
```
If the issue persists, you can reinstall Node.js and npm:
- Download the latest version of Node.js from the official website (https://nodejs.org/) and install it.
- Once the installation is complete, open the terminal or command prompt and verify if Node.js and npm are installed correctly by running the following commands:
```
node -v
npm -v
```
If none of the above steps work, there might be a configuration issue in your project. You can try deleting the node_modules directory in your project and reinstalling the dependencies by running npm install.

If the problem still persists, there might be a deeper issue within your project that requires further investigation.