Manchester United 0-1 Crystal Palace: Joachim Andersen stunner inflicts second straight home league defeat on Red Devils
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ByEurosport
Updated 01/10/2023 at 12:37 GMT
Manchester United fell to a second consecutive home defeat in the Premier League as Crystal Palace left Old Trafford with three points. Joachim Andersen's stunning strike midway through the first half proved decisive as Erik ten Hag's side struggled to muster a response. Palace leapfrogged United in the standings into ninth as United's poor start to the season continues.
Joachim Andersen of Crystal Palace celebrate with Jeffrey Schlupp after scoring a goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on September 30, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom
Image credit: Getty Images
Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen's superb first-half strike succumbed Manchester United to a second successive league home defeat.
The two sides met again at the same venue just four days after United won 3-0 in the third round of the League Cup, but this match never looked likely to go as smoothly.
United dominated possession throughout the game but did not create many clear openings with a Rasmus Hojlund effort cleared off the line by Tyrick Mitchell in the 12th minute by far the closest they came to scoring.
Andersen's blistering strike on the half-volley soon afterwards, when a free-kick was half cleared to him at the back post, gave Palace a lead they always seemed reasonably confident of holding onto.
Sam Johnstone made saves from a long-range effort from Bruno Fernandes and Hojlund in the second half, but it was by no means a siege on the away goal.
Erik Ten Hag's side, who were defeated 3-1 at home by Palace's rivals Brighton in their last home league fixture, drop to tenth, with Palace jumping a place above them.
Talking Point - Triumph for old school defence
There has been much said about United's failure to create chances at home despite dominating possession - three-quarters of it on this occasion. Here let's focus on the Palace back four though. Unusually in an age of player rotation, their back four has basically picked itself since Andersen and Marc Guehi joined the club and unlike many defences they are a genuine unit.
Their first priority is to defend and they do so with relish, never getting caught out of position and making life easy for the midfielders in front of them to assist them and make it hard for teams to play through them. It is a familiar formula which Roy Hodgson used at Fulham, West Brom and Palace before but still works better than those employed by more fashionable managers. It is no wonder their defence has as good a record as any outside the top three.
Player of the Match - Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace)
Such was the organisation of the Palace defence, any of the back four could be contenders. Andersen is a real rock at the back for Palace though and, along with Guehi, he gave few opportunities for Hojlund through the middle. Now in his third season at Palace, he might be one of the most underrated defenders in the league. The £17.5 million fee paid to Lyon certainly seems a snip. And his finish would have made Ten Hag very jealous given the wild efforts at goal from his side.
Player Ratings
Man Utd: Onana 6; Dalot 7, Varane 7, Lindelof 6, Amrabat 6; Mount 6, Casemiro 6; Pellistri 5, Fernandes 7, Rashford 6; Hojlund 6.
Sub: Garnacho 7, Eriksen 6, Maguire 6, Van de Beek 6, Martial 6.
Crystal Palace: Johnstone 7; Ward 7, Guehi 7, Andersen 8*, Mitchell 7; Hughes 6, Doucoure 7; Ayew 7, Eze 7, Schlupp 6; Mateta 6.
Subs: Richards 6, Riedewald 6.
Match Highlights
12' HOJLUND SO CLOSE TO FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL! He pushes the ball Gueye and then beats Johnstone to the loose ball but Mitchell did brilliantly to get back and hook away a yard from the line.
25' GOAL FOR PALACE! What a strike! Eze's free kick is flicked away to the back post by Hojlund and Andersen hooks an incredible strike which flies just underneath the crossbar at such a pace Onana didn't have a chance.
56' GOOD STOP FROM JOHNSTONE! The first time he's been called upon to work. Fernandes fired an effort in from the edge fo the area but the keeper was equal to it tipping over.
70' GREAT CHANCE FOR MOUNT !Dalot got to the by-line and crossed for Mount who headed over the bar from six yards out.
74' ALMOST AN OWN GOAL...TWICE! Mount pulls the ball back from the by-line and it deflects off Andersen and then Gueye before going wide of the post.
KEY STAT
- 3 - Roy Hodgson has won his last three league matches at Old Trafford.
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