United Review | Crystal Palace away

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 United

A solid three points as we got back to winning ways.

Author | Olivia T

Our last victory at this ground came back in July 2020, when Anthony Martial was on the scoresheet. We had not even managed a goal here since Bruno Fernandes found the net in January 2023, so there was every reason for fans to fear the worst when Palace went in ahead at the break. Jean Philippe Mateta’s twice-taken penalty gave them the lead.

The second half

Behind at the break maybe, but United usually score away from home. Only at Manchester City have we failed to register on our travels so far this season and 10 minutes into the second half Ruben’s Reds were at it again on the road. 

It was Zirkzee who came up with the goods. The Dutchman managed to beat Dean Henderson from the tightest of angles with players on the line, swivelling before firing low into the far corner.

He almost had the ball in the net again soon after, but at the wrong end. Substitute Noussair Mazraoui crashed his clearance off his team-mate, with both breathing a sigh of relief when the ball went just beyond the post. 

Moments later, Mason Mount fired home from the edge of the area after a clever short pass from Fernandes at a free kick, steering his shot low beyond Dean Henderson and sparking wild celebrations in the away end.

We saw the game out well

Palace, usually so strong on their own patch and unbeaten in south London for nearly 10 months, suddenly found themselves blunted. The spark and drive they showed before the break had all but disappeared, with United keeping them at arm’s length and refusing to let the game tilt back towards the hosts.

By the final whistle, it was bodies on the line and sheer determination that saw United through. The celebrations that followed said everything about what this result meant.