Crystal Palace continues their fine away run with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United

Manchester United’s resurgence and unbeaten run across all competitions came to a grinding halt when they lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. This was Ruben Amorim’s fifth home defeat in the Premier League after he took the reins of the Red Devils. With both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee continuing to struggle up front, Manchester United and Ruben Amorim tweaked the attacking line by fielding Kobbie Mainoo at the top with Garnacho and Amad on the flanks.

While it gave the early advantage in terms of possessions and corners, Manchester United failed to make it count as the first half ended 0-0. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, grew into the game, stabilizing their approach. Both teams started the second half on an attacking note but it was Crystal Palace’s change that counted the most. The Eagles fielded Eberechi Eze and he had an instant impact on the pitch as he floated the ball perfectly into the box from a dead ball situation.

While the first header hit the post, Mateta did not allow the Manchester United defense to clear the ball and pounced on it to find the back of the net. The goal in the 64th minute gave Palace the leverage to play the next 30 minutes with confidence. While Manchester United made attacking substitutions, it never came close to fruition. On top of it, Ruben Amorim lost Martinez to injury when he landed heavily on his knee.

This affected United’s defensive stability with them conceding the counter-attacking goal in the 89th minute. Though the players tried to work it around, Mateta’s brace ensured that the Old Trafford outfit remained in the second half of the table.

Lisandro Martinez injury: How serious is it? 

The club continues to monitor the situation of Lisandro Martinez who injured his knee while performing his defensive duties. Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim stated that the club will continue to stay with him and battle the situation. In the post-match, he said: 

We are going to see in the next days but I think it’s a serious situation. Not just a great player but a strong character in the dressing room. "In this moment, it’s hard on us, but now it’s time for us to help Licha, like he helps us every day. When you are a player, you know when it’s serious.