The visit to Selhurst Park, Sunday (30/11), looked like it would be a disappointing night for Manchester United, after being dominated by Crystal Palace throughout the first half. The Eagles also took the lead after Jean-Philippe Mateta received a penalty after being fouled by his compatriot, Leny Yoro. The French star’s first execution was canceled because double-touch which was accidental, but he managed to beat Senne Lammens correctly on the second try.
Despite being under pressure for the first hour, The Red Devils actually consistently threatens from dead ball situations. They almost opened the scoring in the early minutes, if Dean Henderson had not made a double save on Casemiro’s chance from a long throw. These efforts finally bore fruit in the second half. Twice Bruno Fernandes was the provider, with the equalizer coming through Joshua Zirkzee’s twisting finish from a tight angle, his first league goal in more than a year. Man United then took the lead through a quick free kick which Mason Mount took advantage of with a shot from the edge of the penalty box.
Amorim confirmed after the match that he was putting more emphasis on training set-piecefollowing the trend of other English Premier League coaches who continue to innovate in this phase of the game. He also said that the looser training time without European competitions provides its own advantages, while the hosts are more vulnerable due to the rhythm of midweek matches. Palace itself just lost 2-1 to Strasbourg, Friday (28/11), in the Conference League.
