Zlatan Ibrahimovic vindicates Jose Mourinho's confidence

Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed why Jose Mourinho has staked his reputation on him by saving Manchester United from another humiliating night with a sublime match-winning goal.

The Swedish striker is being paid around €12m-a-year in what is supposed to be the twilight of his career. But the 35-year-old remains United’s most potent force as he displayed with great timing to secure the points with a brilliant 88th-minute winner.

It was ultimately no more than United deserved on a night when Crystal Palace threatened to get a point or even more from a game in which they offered little and was dominated by poor refereeing decisions.