Following Manchester United’s 2-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, Michael Carrick’s unbeaten tenure continues as the Red Devils climb to third in the Premier League.
Despite a sluggish opening period, a second-half red card for Palace’s Maxence Lacroix turned the tide, allowing United to secure all three points through goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko.
Man United Player Ratings
Senne Lammens: 7
The young goalkeeper was largely a spectator for long stretches but remained sharp when called upon. He produced a couple of vital stops to deny Ismaïla Sarr and showed great composure when playing out from the back, though he could do little about the early opening goal.
Diogo Dalot: 6
It was a tale of two halves for the Portuguese fullback. He endured a difficult first 45 minutes, looking vulnerable defensively and uncharacteristically sloppy in possession. However, he steadied himself after the interval and provided much-needed energy as United pushed for the win.
Leny Yoro: 5
A difficult afternoon for the teenager, who was at fault for the Palace opener after losing track of Lacroix. Throughout the match, he seemed to struggle with the physical presence of Jorgen Strand Larsen, marking this game as a significant learning experience in his development.
Harry Maguire: 7
The veteran was the standout performer in a shaky United backline. Maguire used his experience to neutralize several Palace attacks and was frequently seen covering for his younger defensive partner, Yoro, ensuring the visitors didn’t double their lead during their period of dominance.
Luke Shaw: 4
A frustrating day for the defender, whose afternoon was cut short by an injury that ended his impressive run of consecutive starts. Before his withdrawal, Shaw looked off the pace, with Palace finding joy by exploiting the space left behind him on the left flank.
Casemiro: 6
The Brazilian found himself isolated during the first half as Palace’s press crowded him out of the game. While he missed a decent chance to score, his influence grew significantly in the second half once United gained the numerical advantage and the pressure on the midfield eased.
Kobbie Mainoo: 7
Mainoo found himself in a high-quality duel with Adam Wharton early on and took some time to settle. After the break, however, he took control of the tempo, displaying his trademark tenacity and defensive awareness to help United sustain their second-half pressure.
Bryan Mbeumo: 6
It wasn’t the most productive outing for the winger, who struggled to exert his usual influence on the game. While he had a few bright moments during United’s difficult first half, he was largely kept quiet by the Palace defense before being replaced late on.
Bruno Fernandes: 8
After a quiet start, the captain grew into the game and shouldered the creative burden. He showed nerves of steel to slot home the equalizing penalty and followed it up with a world-class delivery for the winning goal, proving once again why he is the heartbeat of this team.
Matheus Cunha: 7
Despite appearing slightly out of position on the left wing, Cunha’s intelligence was the catalyst for the comeback. It was his clever movement that drew the foul from Lacroix for the penalty and subsequent red card, effectively changing the trajectory of the entire match.
Benjamin Sesko: 8
Starting for the first time under Carrick, the Slovenian forward justified the hype with a towering “bullet” header to win the game. His physicality in the box was a constant problem for the Palace defenders, and he looks increasingly like a clinical solution to United’s attacking needs.
Substitutes
Noussair Mazraoui: 7
Introduced for the injured Shaw, he looked remarkably sharp. He made a crucial defensive header shortly after coming on and provided a much more stable presence on the left side of the defense.
Amad: 7
The winger brought an immediate spark to the right flank. He looked determined to make an impact and his direct running caused several problems for a tiring ten-man Crystal Palace defense.
Ayden Heaven: 6
A late introduction for Maguire, the youngster didn’t have much time to influence proceedings but stayed focused to help see out the victory during the closing stages.
Joshua Zirkzee: 6
Brought on to provide fresh legs in attack, Zirkzee linked up play well in the final minutes and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet himself deep into stoppage time.