Michael Olise scored a brace of objectives as Crystal Palace accomplished a league double over Manchester United for the primary time of their historical past with a thumping 4-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Monday that may add to the strain on supervisor Erik ten Hag.
A makeshift United defence that included Casemiro at centre-again was simply picked aside by Palace on a number of events as Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell joined the scoresheet within the spectacular win.
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United stay in eighth place with 54 factors from 35 video games, two factors behind Newcastle United in sixth, with their hopes of European soccer subsequent season fading quick. Palace are nonetheless in 14th with 43 factors from 36 matches.
United had a number of harm absentees and have been with out Bruno Fernandes, the primary time in his 230-recreation Old Trafford profession he has missed a match with harm, however the ease with which they have been crushed can be an enormous concern for everybody on the membership.
“A big disappointment. We just had an off-day and we weren’t in it,” midfielder Christian Eriksen advised the BBC. “It is what it is. We can’t really change the injury things. We have to do what we can on the pitch to change it.
“Today it did not matter who we performed. Everyone might have completed higher. We tried to do what we might however we weren’t ok. We’ll take the blame as gamers.”
It is the first time in the Premier League era United have lost 13 games in a season, and the scoreline might have been worse.
Palace have found their groove under new manager Oliver Glasner, but United are limping to the end of a season that cannot finish soon enough for Ten Hag.
The home side took the lead inside 12 minutes, and it was far too easy. Olise collected a throw and evaded a limp challenge from Casemiro, and with no United player attempting to close him down, was able to unleash a low shot from just inside the box.
United had the ball in the back of the net from Casemiro’s header, but the effort was ruled out after contact from Rasmus Højlund on Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
It was 2-0 to the home side five minutes before the break as Mateta breezed past United defender Jonny Evans and thrashed the ball into the net for a ninth goal in 11 games since the arrival of Glasner in February.
The striker had scored 11 goals in his previous 80 games for Palace.
United’s defence was struggling to contain the movement of their hosts, and when Diogo Dalot failed to deal with a ball to the back post, Mitchell had a tap-in with home players queuing up to score.
Olise’s second goal added more salt to the wound and it could have been worse for the visitors as Odsonne Édouard saw his shot come back off the woodwork late on.
“I believe we might have gotten just a few extra. That reveals the potential we now have to play in opposition to any group within the league,” Palace defender Chris Richards mentioned.