Manchester United bounced back from a heartbreaking defeat against 10 men last Monday with a 2-1 win away at Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils fell behind at half-time thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty, but two goals from set pieces were enough to take all three points back to Manchester.
Both goals were impressive finishes for United. Firstly, Joshua Zirkzee, who had been under the radar, got on the scoresheet with a great finish.
He controlled Bruno Fernandes’ free kick with his chest and fired a low, powerful volley into the back of the goal.
That was United’s equalizer, and Mason Mount’s goal that won the game was just as impressive. The Red Devils’ number seven stepped up to lay off Fernandes from a further free-kick and curled his shot through the Palace wall and into Dean Henderson’s goal.
Despite this result and an energetic second half, it was far from a perfect afternoon for United. Ruben Amorim’s side had only 1.25 expected goals and only 0.26 xG in the second half. It was an important victory, but there is still a lot of improvement to be made.
Indeed, it was a tough day at the office for some United players, including young defender Lenny Yolo.
Lenny Yolo’s day to forget vs Palace
Young French defender Yoro didn’t have his best game at Selhurst Park on Sunday lunchtime. It was his foul on Mateta and a late challenge from behind on his compatriot that resulted in Palace’s penalty and Oliver Glasner’s side taking the lead.
Indeed, there were some bright moments against the south Londoners for the former Lille star, who has struggled to find his best form for much of this season. He made an important block in the first half to prevent Palace from scoring at a key moment in the match.
But it wasn’t the day Mr. Yoro had hoped for. The foul against Mateta ended up being a rather clumsy challenge, and the fact that they won only three of the six matches led Amorim to replace him with Nouser Mazraoui after Zirkzee’s goal.
Despite Yoro’s tough times, United’s team has rallied around him. Mount was one of the players who immediately supported his team-mates full-time, with football presenter Dylan Penketh saying he was “great to see” after the final whistle.
It was a disappointing day for Yoro, but he was not the only United player to struggle.
Not just endowment: Manchester United star vs. Palace’s struggles
Facing Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamata was always going to be tough for United’s pivot at Selhurst Park, and Casemiro was the player to bear the brunt of it.
According to journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the Brazilian is said to be “obsessed with Adam Wharton”.
In fact, it wasn’t an easy day against the Eagles’ energetic midfield pivot, especially in the first half. The Brazilian had a total of 65 touches throughout the match, lost the ball 11 times and had one chance. He also won only 7 of his 15 duels.
Casemiro stats vs. Palace | |
|---|---|
status | number |
touch | 65 |
Pass accuracy | 80% |
Number of ball lost | 11 |
Won a ground duel | 5/9 |
won an aerial battle | 2/6 |
foul | 4 |
An opportunity has arisen | 0 |
Sofascore statistics | |
United’s number 18 was rated 5/10 by Manchester Evening News journalist Stephen Railstone. He said Casemiro had improved throughout the match, but described his start to the game at Selhurst Park as “shaky”.
After a difficult game for Casemiro, and the fact that he is only one yellow card away from being suspended, it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his place in the squad for the next match against United. They next face West Ham United at Old Trafford on Thursday.
It’s also a game in which United are likely to take the lead. Perhaps Amoam is opting to include Koby Mainu in midfield, who is good with the ball and has an excellent ability to hold onto the ball and sustain attacks.
In addition to that, the Brazilian played 90 minutes at Selhurst Park. With a game as early as Thursday and a busy December season ahead, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him removed from the rotation to aid his recovery.
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