Cliff Notes – C Palace 1-2 Man United Game Analysis
- Manchester United secured a crucial 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace, with goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount turning the match around after falling behind to a penalty from Jean-Philippe Mateta.
- The win marked a resurgence for United under manager Ruben Amorim, moving them into the top half of the Premier League, just four points off rivals Manchester City.
- Despite a shaky start, United’s tactical adjustments and a strong second-half performance allowed them to hold off Palace’s pressure and celebrate a much-needed victory.
C Palace 1-2 Man United (30 Nov, 2025) Game Analysis
Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount grabbed second-half goals to get Manchester United back on track in the Premier League with a battling 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.
Ruben Amorim’s critics quickly returned after United slipped to an abject loss at home to 10-man Everton on Monday to end an encouraging five-match unbeaten run.
When Jean-Philippe Mateta broke the deadlock in the 36th-minute with a retaken penalty, after he hit the ball twice with his first effort, Palace boss Oliver Glasner looked set to inflict more misery on Amorim.
However, Amorim watched Zirkzee get off the mark this season and score his first league goal since December with a fine low finish after 54 minutes and Mount’s curled effort nine minutes later completed the turnaround.
After an initial response by Palace, United held on relatively comfortably to make it four wins in seven to move into the top-half and only four points off rivals Manchester City.
United’s mini resurgence under Amorim had been halted against Everton and he switched the full-backs in his much-maligned 3-4-2-1 formation at Selhurst Park.
Up against a Palace team in the same set-up, the visitors started brightly and Casemiro could have scored within 60 seconds, but Dean Henderson blocked his close-range effort.
Mateta soon started to terrorise the United backline with a shot sent wide after Matthijs de Ligt’s clearance hit team-mate Leny Yoro.
Adam Wharton — one of three recalled after Thursday’s loss at Strasbourg — had already fired a half-volley straight at Senne Lammens before Palace upped the ante.
Not long after Daichi Kamada struck weakly at Lammens, United were indebted to Yoro’s outstanding block to deny the impressive Yéremy Pino.
The Palace pressure was relentless and they were awarded a penalty when Wharton produced a wonderful pass into France international Mateta, who was caught by compatriot Yoro, which forced referee Rob Jones to point to the spot.
Mateta had missed a penalty in the Conference League at the start of November, but sent Lammens the wrong way and yet celebrations were cut-short when VAR deemed Mateta had hit the ball twice.
An announcement over the PA system by referee Jones sparked brief celebrations from the United faithful before they were silenced when it was announced the spot-kick would be retaken.
Matata composed himself and rolled past Lammens again after 36 minutes before two superb last-ditch blocks by Luke Shaw on his 300th appearance for United thwarted Pino and Eddie Nketiah.
With Amorim’s half-time team-talk ringing in the ears of the visitors, they made a fast start to the second period and levelled in the 54th-minute.
Fernandes’ free kick picked out Zirkzee, who turned away from Kamada and arrowed a powerful strike from a tight angle beyond ex-United goalkeeper Henderson.
It ended Zirzkee’s run of 25 league games without a goal but he almost put the ball in his own net moments later when substitute Noussair Mazraoui smashed a clearance against the Dutch forward.
However, United completed the turnaround with 63 minutes played when quick-thinking by Fernandes from a free kick teed up Mount to curl around the wall to catch out Henderson.
Glasner was furious on the touchline but, after Nketiah headed wide moments later for Palace and Justin Devenny fired a stoppage-time free kick into the wall, Amorim’s side deservedly held on to spark big celebrations at full-time.