Ruben Amorim’s training ground work vindicated as Man Utd complete second-half comeback

Manchester United returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park thanks to Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount’s second-half goals

Manchester United returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace. Ruben Amorim’s side ended a winless run of three games thanks to Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount’s goals completing a second-half comeback.

United started on the front foot and looked certain to take the lead in the opening seconds when Casemiro was unable to bundle the ball over the line as former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a brilliant reaction save to deny the Brazilian.

Casemiro then saw a headed chance go narrowly wide to his frustration. The midfielder appeared to be the right man in the right place on both occasions given his knack for a timely set-piece goal, but his misses proved costly.

Palace grew into the game and saw the lion’s share of the chances in the first-half with Mateta hitting one effort straight at Senne Lammens before dragging a second one-on-one wide.

But United gave up one too many chances to the Frenchman as he opened the scoring from the spot in the 36th minute.

Leny Yoro’s clumsy challenge from behind on Mateta tripped the striker in the box. Yoro’s challenge comes after his woeful attempt at a clearance in United’s defeat against Everton last time out, which gave the ball away to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to score the game’s only goal.

Mateta stepped up to score from the spot, but his effort took a double touch off his standing foot and was disallowed.

Previously, when such kicks happened, an indirect free-kick would be given to the defending team during a match. It would also be recorded as a missed penalty if it happened during a penalty shootout.

However, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) updated the ruling on July 1 after a number of unfortunate disallowed efforts and Mateta was allowed to retake his penalty, scoring and sending Lammens the wrong way for a second time.

United had to find a lot more attacking threat in the second half despite their depleted ranks, with Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha missing through injury.

And the team with the second most goals from set pieces all season added to that tally thanks to Joshua Zirkzee’s brilliant strike from an impossible angle running onto the end of Bruno Fernandes’ clipped free-kick.

Fernandes dropped the ball into space behind the Palace backline, which Zirkzee was able to control and find a great connection on the volley. His effort swerved past Henderson at his near post and crashed into the far post side netting.

Zirkzee’s goal was his first of the season and just his eighth since joining United last season. The 24-year-old has been brought in from the cold by Amorim due to injuries in the frontline and found a timely goal for himself and his team.

United completed the quick-fire turnaround just nine minutes later when Mason Mount smashed a low effort through a broken Palace wall. Fernandes notched his second assist of the game and his 56th for United, overtaking Paul Scholes’ all-time tally, as he rolled the ball into the path of Mount.

United’s two goals coming from set-pieces reap the reward of Amorim and his team on the training ground with the Reds already just four goals off their tally last season for set-piece goals.

The Reds ranked 14th in the Premier League for set-piece goals last campaign but are now tied top on 10 with Arsenal. Having scored just 44 league goals in the entirety of last season, Amorim’s shift to utilising Fernandes’ technical ability and the additional height in the squad has been a success.

United continued to dominate the second-half but lacked the final finish or ball to put the game beyond doubt.

Lisandro Martinez also made his long-awaited return from an ACL injury suffered in February.