Manchester United came from behind to earn three points against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, with a 2-1 victory lifting the Reds into third place in the Premier League.
Old Trafford was shellshocked within minutes of the opening whistle when Maxence Lacroix put the visitors ahead with a cushioned header after a promising passage of play.
But the Frenchman endured the highs and lows of elite football on the day, seeing red in the second half and granting Bruno Fernandes the opportunity to equalise from the spot.
The Portuguese then turned provider for an in-form Benjamin Sesko to head his sixth goal in seven league appearances, rewarding Michael Carrick for his show of confidence.
United pushed for a third while managing the game with a numerical advantage, but were comfortable in extending their unbeaten record to 11 games in England’s top tier.
Focus immediately shifts to a challenging trip to Newcastle on Wednesday evening and another opportunity to gain traction in the race for European football.
Manchester United impress in comeback victory against Crystal Palace
Sesko returned to the starting XI following a catalogue of impressive cameos in recent weeks, replacing Amad as the only alteration from the side that dispatched Everton on Monday evening.
Encouragingly, Carrick opted for a mixture of youth and experience on his bench, rewarding Jack Moorhouse and Tyler Fletcher’s Carrington application with matchday inclusion.
The 44-year-old was aiming to channel the feel-good factor within his squad, while utilising the momentum from a 10-game unbeaten run to leapfrog Aston Villa.
With Champions League qualification remaining the primary target for this new-look coaching team, victory would lift the Reds into third place, six points ahead of Chelsea and three ahead of Liverpool in fifth.
Nonetheless, he was under no illusion that Palace would be eager to deliver a third successive Old Trafford upset despite their Jekyll and Hyde form during a tumultuous campaign.
Chris Kavanagh returned to officiate his first outing since a controversial FA Cup tie between Newcastle and Villa, with those in attendance hoping for an incident-free afternoon.
Still, it was the sight of their error-prone stars that left many of the home contingent in dismay, with notable lethargy and a lack of any rhythm on display from the off.
Early apprehension was realised when Lacroix peeled away from Leny Yoro to head a lofted corner past Senne Lammens inside four minutes.
Things didn’t get much better throughout the opening quarter as a disjointed United appeared to exhibit the bruises of a team that had played European football on Thursday evening.
Frustratingly, images of an uncomfortable Luke Shaw walking down the tunnel after 24 minutes compounded a poor start, with Noussair Mazraoui replacing the veteran full-back.
But, to their credit, Fernandes and Co. began to up the gears after the half-hour mark, taking control of possession and enjoying the bulk of play in the Londoners’ defensive third.
Harry Maguire came close from a corner, before Sesko and Bruno tested Dean Henderson within minutes of each other, with the latter bringing the best out of the former United keeper with an exquisite free-kick.
| First-half statistics via sofascore.com | Manchester United | Crystal Palace |
| Possession | 57% | 43% |
| Total passes | 282 | 220 |
| Shots | 6 | 4 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 1 | 3 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.34 | 0.19 |
You wouldn’t need to be a fly on the wall to comprehend Carrick’s message at the interval. His side was well below the expected standard, and it was on them to rectify a laborious display.
Regardless, he retained trust in his men and was rewarded with an increased tempo and a determined approach directly from the restart.
It took less than 10 minutes for a response when Lacroix denied Matheus Cunha a clear goalscoring opportunity in the area, inevitably seeing red before Fernandes calmly slotted home from the penalty spot.
The 31-year-old took control of the fixture from here, delivering a pinpoint cross for Sesko to head home minutes later, before receiving the expected adoration of the Old Trafford faithful.
Amad replaced his Slovenian teammate for the final quarter as United chased further goals in what is becoming a trademark of this side since Carrick’s return.
If not for the fingertips of a typically sprightly Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo would have capped another fine individual display with a cracking 30-yard effort during injury time.
But two goals were enough to seal the three points and earn a sixth Premier League win from seven outings under the guidance of an increasingly popular interim coach.
There is plenty of football to be played this season, but it’s hard not to admire the desire of this team in recent weeks. Long may it continue.
How are you feeling after another profitable afternoon for this Manchester United outfit? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com.
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