0
0
Crystal Palace won their debut Premier League game against Manchester United 4-0 at Selhurst Park.
Following their 1-0 victory at Old Trafford earlier in the season, the Eagles dominated from the start and led by two goals at halftime thanks to Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Normal business continued in the second quarter, with Olise scoring his second of the night after Tyrick Mitchell joined in, pushing the 14th-placed hosts to 43 points as they round off a difficult season with a flourish.
Oliver Glasner’s men may still be seven places behind Erik ten Hag’s troops, but they outperformed their meek opponents in every department, leaving the Red Devils behind Chelsea in the final European spot on goal difference, and the permeable visitors have now shipped 81 goals, surpassing the 80 they allowed in during the 1977-78 season.
Man United were once again sporting an exceptionally youthful bench and patchwork defence, and they were also lamenting the uncommon absence of captain Bruno Fernandes, whose removal allowed Mason Mount to make his Premier League debut.
Crystal Palace 4-0 Manchester United: Premier League, as it happened
Mateta matches Shearer feet against the terrible Red Devils
The elderly backline of Jonny Evans and Casemiro was immediately targeted by the Olise and Eberechi Eze-inspired hosts, and Ten Hag’s centre-backs were among the Red Devils who failed to bask in the glory of a very farcical Palace goal in the 12th minute.
Latching onto a throw-in between the lines with little real pressure, Olise brushed off Christian Eriksen and beat an onrushing Casemiro all the way before charging at Evans, who simply backed off against the advancing Frenchman.
With no Manchester United defender prepared to make a tackle, the Frenchman had plenty of time and space to find the bottom corner from the edge of the box, scoring his eighth Premier League goal of the season.
The Red Devils’ reaction was poor for the most part, but the ball was in the Palace net in the 27th minute, when Dean Henderson appeared to grab Casemiro’s looping header, but the Eagles shot-stopper was bumped in the back by Rasmus Hojlund, and the goal was ruled out.
There were echoes of the David Raya vs. Bournemouth incident as Man United were controversially denied a leveller, and the visitors swiftly resorted to their meek ways, allowing Palace to punish them once more in the 40th minute.
A series of blunders on the right saw Palace reclaim possession through Chris Richards, whose through pass to Mateta resulted in the Frenchman gliding past Evans as if he were not there and hitting a powerful drive past Andre Onana.
Mateta replicated Alan Shearer with his strike, becoming the only player since the ex-Newcastle United forward in 1996-97 to score in each of his first six Premier League home games under a new manager, whose opposing number Ten Hag did not make any half-time changes.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United | English Premier League | Matchday 36
In the second session, Man United experienced deja vu when Casemiro had another goal called out for offside in the 53rd minute, and the Red Devils were once again under pressure.
Onana managed to stop Mitchell and Will Hughes in a matter of seconds, but the Cameroonian was powerless to prevent the former from scoring his hard-earned goal in the 58th minute, as he tapped in from close range after Joachim Andersen poked Wharton’s pass into his path.
The visitors’ chagrin increased in the 68th minute, when Daniel Munoz robbed Casemiro of the ball on the byline and blasted it to Olise just inside the box, where the winger’s stinging shot soared beyond Onana’s useless grasp.
One could even argue that the 4-0 result favored Manchester United, who were all over the place defensively and short of ideas in the final third, not that they had many ventures into the Palace half anyway.
In extra time, substitute Odsonne Edouard nearly gave the hosts a five-star performance, clipping the post with an effort that left Onana stranded, but Glasner’s side eventually declared at four.
The Eagles’ final road game of the season is against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, while Manchester United will confront the disgruntled Old Trafford faithful on Sunday, hosting none other than leaders Arsenal.
