Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United

FRINGE PLAYERS STAR AS MAN UNITED BOUNCE BACK AGAINST CRYSTAL PALACE

A second-half blitz from Manchester United snatched all three points at Selhurst Park as wonder goals from Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee overcame Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half penalty for Crystal Palace.

Ruben Amorim’s side responded magnificently after the gut-wrenching 1-0 loss to 10-man Everton on Monday, and jump above The Eagles in the Premier League after taking all three points from a textbook game of two halves.

Casemiro missed a golden chance less than 60 seconds into the game as Dean Henderson made a fantastic double-save to deny the Brazilian, but it was Crystal Palace who drew first blood in a hectic first half.

After Mateta and Adam Wharton had each missed good chances, they combined to win a penalty when Wharton slipped in the striker with a wonderfully disguised and weighted pass that left Yoro scrambling before he clipped Mateta’s heels.

Mateta’s initial spot-kick was chalked off for a double-kick but he made no mistake the second time, switching sides as Senne Lammens dived the wrong way.

‘That is such a big goal for him’ – Zirkzee equalises for United with brilliant finish

Video credit: TNT Sports

So Amorim needed a response in the second half, and he got it. First, Zirkzee latched onto a well-hit Bruno Fernandes free kick and unleashed an unbelievable finish from an impossibly tight angle against one of the best defences in the league, and the skipper was once again the architect for Mount’s winner.

From a free-kick much closer to the penalty area, Henderson had trouble organising his wall and Fernandes took full advantage, rolling the ball a few yards to his right for Mount to run onto and rifle his attempt into the bottom corner.

Struggling with the turnaround from European to domestic football once again, Oliver Glasner’s side were unable to fashion an opportunity to equalise late on and the German took aim at The Eagles’ summer transfer policy after the game.