Manchester United suffers 11th League defeat

Manchester United endured another disappointing afternoon at Old Trafford, suffering a 0-2 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s brace secured the victory for the visitors, while United’s misery was compounded by a potentially serious knee injury to Lisandro Martínez. The loss leaves Rúben Amorim’s side in 13th place, one point behind Palace, as their struggles in the Premier League continue.

Amorim’s tactical shake-up

With both Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee starting on the bench, Amorim opted for an unconventional attacking setup. Kobbie Mainoo was deployed as a false nine, flanked by Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho on the wings. Meanwhile, Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot were tasked with providing width and overlapping runs from deep. Mainoo nearly made an immediate impact, striking the post after a well-worked move involving Diallo. However, Crystal Palace responded with threats of their own. Daniel Muñoz found himself unmarked in the box but failed to direct his header on target. The visitors continued to look more dangerous, with Maxence Lacroix testing André Onana from distance and Tyrick Mitchell narrowly missing the post with a driven effort. Just before halftime, Palace had their best chance yet. Mateta lifted the ball delicately over Onana, but his attempt drifted just wide, letting United off the hook heading into the break.

Mateta’s second-half double sinks United

Manchester United showed some early second-half promise, with Manuel Ugarte coming close to his first goal for the club. His volley forced a superb reflex save from Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, denying United an opener. Palace, however, continued to push forward and were eventually rewarded. Lacroix’s powerful header crashed against the crossbar, and Mateta reacted quickest to slot home the rebound, giving Palace a deserved 0-1 lead. As United chased an equalizer, Palace capitalized on the gaps left at the back. In the dying minutes, a swift counterattack saw Mateta finish clinically to secure his second goal and seal a 0-2 victory for the visitors.

Lisandro Martínez’s injury adds to United’s woes

United’s defeat was made even worse by an injury to Lisandro Martínez. The Argentine defender went down awkwardly after an innocuous challenge and was stretchered off the pitch. De Ligt was brought on as his replacement, but the mood at Old Trafford had already darkened.

What’s next for United?

This latest defeat marks Manchester United’s 11th loss of the Premier League season, highlighting the ongoing struggles under Amorim. With their attack failing to create meaningful chances and defensive lapses continuing to cost them, the pressure is mounting on the Portuguese manager to turn things around. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, will be thrilled with their performance, climbing above United in the table and securing another crucial three points in their bid for a strong league finish. As United faces uncertainty over Martínez’s injury and searches for a way to reignite their season, the road ahead looks increasingly challenging. With tough fixtures on the horizon, Amorim must find a way to inject new life into his team before their campaign slips further into disappointment.