Andersen clinches win for Palace over Man Utd

WINNING GOAL: Joachim Andersen of Crystal Palace celebrates after scoring the team's winning goal. Pic: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Premier League

Man United 0 Crystal Palace 1

AFTER a brief break from his early-season troubles, Erik ten Hag found himself addressing them again after Joachim Andersen clinched a win for Palace and Manchester United’s fourth defeat in seven Premier League games this term.

Home fans booed their team off after Palace had stunned United on 25 minutes although ten Hag’s team could not say they had not been warned of the danger posed by the visitors.

Just nine minutes had gone when Casemiro, booked and sent off in his two games against Palace last season, was shown yellow for a foul on Jordan Ayew.

The initial free-kick was cleared but eventually re-worked to Andersen whose excellent cross was headed just wide by Marc Guehi.

There was no second reprieve for United, later, however, as Palace took the lead from another set-piece, well delivered by Eberechi Eze.

The ball skimmed off the heads of a Palace and United player but sat up invitingly for Andersen who lashed the ball in with an excellent right-foot finish from 12 yards.

There was a lack of tempo from United and, when keeper Sam Johnstone was finally tested, by Rasmus Hojlund touching the ball neatly beyond him, Tyrik Mitchell was on hand to clear the ball off the line.

At least there was more urgency from the home side after the restart, with Casemiro setting the tone with an ambitious overhead kick which flew just wide of the Palace goal.

Finally, on 56 minutes, Johnstone was forced into his first save of the match, flying into the top right-hand corner of his goal to keep out Bruno Fernandes’s shot from the edge of the area. United maintained the pressure, with Fernandes crossing for Hojlund, who could only steer his header directly at the keeper from six yards.

Ten Hag sought to keep United in the ascendancy by replacing one young winger, Facundo Pellistri, with another, Alejandro Garnacho, on the hour.

But the next goal could have come, again, from the visitors with Will Hughes driving a powerful 20-yard shot straight at Andre Onana who parried well.

It was only a brief respite for Palace, with Sofyan Amrabat soon shaving the United cross-bar, from 25 yards, after the visitors failed to clear a prolonged attack, and Mason Mount heading a sharp chance over from Diogo Dalot’s cross.

Garnacho also set off on an exciting run down the left-hand by-line before his low cross passed through the legs of Andersen and Mitchell before passing out for a corner.

Man United (4-2-3-1): Onana 6; Dalot 7, Varane 6 (Maguire 87), Lindelof 5 (van de Beek 87), Amrabat 6; Casemiro 6, Mount 5 (Martial 77, 5); Pellistri 6 (Garnacho 60, 7), Fernandes 7, Rashford 6 (Eriksen 77, 5); Hojlund 7. Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Maguire, Garnacho, van de Beek, Evans, McTominay, Mejbri.

Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Johnstone 7; Ward 7, Andersen 8, Guehi 7, Mitchell 7; Doucoure 6, Hughes 7; Ayew 7, Eze 9 (Richards 87), Schlupp 6 (Riedewald 78, 5); Mateta 6. Substitutes (not used) Holding, Clyne, Ebiowei, Richards, Matthews, Rak-Sakyi, Ozoh, Ola-Adebomi.

Referee: C Kavanagh 6