Manchester United staged a second-half comeback to secure a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday, their first win at Selhurst Park in five years. After a dominant first-half display from the hosts, who took the lead through a retaken Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty, United struck twice in nine minutes through Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount to turn the match around.
Crystal Palace were in control for much of the first half, with Mateta forcing an early save from Senne Lammens and hitting the target with a retaken spot-kick after Leny Yoro brought him down. The visitors struggled to create chances, with Zirkzee isolated in attack, but Palace failed to extend their lead before the break, with substitute Eddie Nketiah wasting a clear opportunity.
United improved after the interval, equalising eight minutes into the second half when Bruno Fernandes caught the Palace defence napping with a quick free kick, allowing Zirkzee to chest the ball down and fire into the far corner for his first Premier League goal in almost a year. Mason Mount then completed the comeback with a sweet strike from distance, securing the points for Ruben Amorim's side.
“I said to the players that we needed to be more alive. We can’t play like that in the Premier League,” Amorim said of his side's first-half display. Palace manager Oliver Glasner expressed frustration at conceding two goals from set pieces and criticised the club's failure to strengthen the squad in the summer, saying: “When you play the first time in your history, European football, let’s invest instead of save. We saved, and that’s what we are facing.”
The win moves United above Palace into seventh place in the Premier League, while Palace suffer their first home league defeat since February. The Eagles also had Ismaïla Sarr limp off with an ankle injury before half-time, which Glasner expects could keep the forward sidelined until the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.
