Crystal Palace 4 Man Utd 0
Oliver Glasner’s side welcomed Man Utd to Selhurst Park, looking to keep their recent run of good form going. The visitors were without the influential Bruno Fernandes, which was a huge loss, but needed victory to keep their feint hopes of European football alive.
While Erik ten Hag will tell you that all is going according to the long term plan at Old Trafford, his side looked like they were being controlled on a PS5 by somebody’s cat. Olise walked through the team, heading towards goal, as they parted like the Red Sea.
As the Palace winger approached the edge of the penalty area, he fired off a shot into the bottom corner of the goal and Selhurst Park erupted. It was all too easy for The Eagles as they broke the deadlock after only 12 minutes played.
Eriksen then swung in a dangerous corner, with Hojlund challenging Henderson on the goal line. The ball went straight into the net with neither player touching it but after a brief time to gather his thoughts, the referee awarded a free kick for a foul on the keeper.
Credit: @CPFC
Anywhere else on the pitch and nothing would have been done but in the modern game goalkeepers are more protected than the planet. Ten Hag fumed on the touchline as he complained to the fourth official, not that this ever had any effect on a football match.
Mateta was to then skip past Jonny Evans like the 101 year old defender he is and rifled the ball into the back of the net before Onana would even react. It was crazy how easy Palace were finding opening up this Man Utd team.
The visitors failed to create anything of note in the first 45 minutes and Crystal Palace were in cruise control. After the interval, the hosts whipped in a corner and the ball broke to Hughes on the edge of the box. He controlled it and got a shot away but Onana was able to beat his effort out.
As another cross was lofted into the box, Andersen won it at the back post and Mitchell turned it home to extend Palace’s lead in the capital. Man Utd were sinking without a trace and their Dutch manager must be starting to worry for his job.
Casemiro was then bullied off the ball on the byline of his own box. It was cut back to Olise, who took one touch to knock it in front of him before firing a long range shot past Onana to make it four-nil to Oliver Glasner’s side. Cue the chants ‘sacked in the morning, you’re getting sacked in the morning.’
That said, how Onana is getting beaten so easily in the middle of his goal is baffling. Some of the signings ten Hag has made have to go down as the biggest waste of money since the ‘Fyre Festival’. While United can replace the manager, there is a lot of deadwood at this club to get rid of also.
Credit: @CPFC
Edouard then muscled Casemiro off the ball once again, cut inside onto his right foot and got a shot off at goal. The ball cracked against the post and came back into play. Almost the icing on the cake for the hosts in what was a dominant victory.
It was a heavy defeat for Man Utd as they were played off the park by a side who were concerned about relegation for a big part of 2024. If only they could play the Red Devils every week, they would no doubt be looking forward to Champions League football next season.
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