Mateta double sees Palace punish toothless Man Utd
BRACE: Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates after scoring his side's second goal at Old Trafford. Pic: AP Photo/Dave Thompson
Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Ruben Amorim a painful, first-hand example of the value of a specialist striker as his two goals condemned Manchester United to yet another Old Trafford defeat.
With unwanted Marcus Rashford on his way out of Old Trafford, on loan to Aston Villa, Amorim left strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee on the bench as he started with midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as a “false nine.” It was a gamble that backfired, with United barely generating a shot on target and falling to a seventh defeat in 13 league games at Old Trafford this season.
And, in the process as Palace collected their fourth win at Old Trafford in their last six visits, United became the first side in their history to lose seven of their opening 13 home games of a campaign.
Mateta showed the talents of an instinctive goalscorer, breaking the deadlock after 64 minutes, following an instant impact made by Palace substitute Eberechi Eze.
He placed an accurate free-kick onto the head of Maxence Lacroix, who out jumped Leny Yoro and thundered a header against the United crossbar; Mateta reacting first, to tap the ball into an open goal.
And, as United were caught pressing for an equaliser, Palace were equally clinical in doubling their lead in the 88th minute.
Ismaila Sarr played a perfect pass through for Daniel Munoz who exploited the glaring holes in the United defence to square for the unmarked Mateta to sweep in a deserved second.
Indeed, United could, and should, have been behind, even before the opening goal, with Palace wasting the better of the first half chances.
Most glaring was the one by Mateta, who was played through by Jefferson Lerma after 38 minutes, but chipped his effort wide, although it appeared Andre Onana may have got a decisive touch.
The striker had already come agonisingly close to an opener, throwing himself at Tyrick Mitchell’s driven cross-shot and coming within inches of making contact at the far post.
And Munoz was another guilty party, heading wide from a great chance, created by Mitchell’s hanging cross to the far post after just 10 minutes.
United had started the game encouragingly and Mainoo, in his new role, clipped the Palace post in the sixth minute, with TV replays suggesting Dean Henderson may actually have got an important fingertip to the effort.
But not until after the restart did the visiting keeper have anything else to worry about, as he had to dive and parry a powerful Bruno Fernandes strike, well created by Amad Diallo.
It was an improved start to the second half, with Manuel Ugarte next to test Palace’s former United striker, with a half-volley from Harry Maguire’s nod down, following a Fernandes free-kick.
Yet United were just as susceptible to the counter-attack in the second half as they had been the first. Maguire lived dangerously when he broke up one such move with a clearance that rebounded off Munoz and might have gone anywhere, before ricocheting just wide.
The introduction of Eze proved pivotal, with the winger setting up the opening goal within moments of his arrival.
Eze almost repeated the feat 10 minutes later, with another pinpoint free-kick that Lerma headed goalwards and saw bounce inches wide of the United goal.
To make matters worse for United, Lisandro Martinez was stretchered off eight minutes from time after collecting what looked like a lower leg injury.
Onana 6; Yoro 5, Maguire 5, Martinez 6 (de Ligt 82); Mazraoui 5 (Zirkzee 70, 5), Ugarte 6 (Eriksen 87), Fernandes 6, Dalot 6; Diallo 5, Garnacho 6; Mainoo 5 (Hojlund 70, 5). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Casemiro, Collyer, Harrison, Lindelof.
Henderson 7; Richards 7, Lacroix 7, Guehi 7; Munoz 8, Hughes 7 (Wharton 88), Lerma 7, Mitchell 8 (Clyne 88); Sarr 7 (Devenny 90), Kamada 4 (Eze 61, 7); Mateta 69. Substitutes (not used) Esse, Kporha, Nketiah, Schlupp, Turner.
: J Brooks 6
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