Manchester United defeated by Crystal Palace 2-0 at Old Trafford

In a disappointing return to form for Manchester United, Crystal Palace secured a comfortable 2-0 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday, piling more pressure on manager Ruben Amorim.

The defeat marked United's fifth loss in their last six home league games, a grim statistic that highlights their ongoing struggles on home soil.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was the star for the visitors, scoring both goals in the second half to hand the Eagles a well-earned three points. The win sees Crystal Palace move ahead of Manchester United in the league table, climbing to 12th place.

United, who had shown signs of improvement following three consecutive wins, were once again disappointing at home. Amorim’s decision to start without a natural striker, opting instead for midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in a centre-forward role, backfired. Mainoo, who had impressed with a goal in a midweek victory over Romanian side FCSB, failed to make an impact.

United’s best chance of the first half came from Mainoo’s scuffed strike, which ricocheted off the post, but thereafter, their attacking threat quickly evaporated.

Palace, who have lost just one of their last seven league games, started without their key creative player, Eberechi Eze, who was sidelined due to injury. Eze made a crucial impact when he came on as a substitute, delivering a free-kick that was headed against the bar by Maxence Lacroix. The ball fell kindly for Mateta, who capitalized on the rebound to open the scoring.

Things worsened for United when defender Lisandro Martinez was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. The hosts’ defensive vulnerabilities were exposed further when Daniel Munoz raced through the heart of their defense and squared the ball to Mateta, who tapped in his second goal of the game—his sixth in the last five matches.

The defeat left United fans and Amorim questioning the lack of creativity and defensive frailties that have become all too familiar this season. United’s failure to find a natural striker or effective attacking rhythm was evident as they struggled to break down Palace’s resolute defense.

Meanwhile, in the other Premier League match of the day, Tottenham Hotspur eased relegation fears with a 2-0 win over Brentford. Spurs, who have been battling injuries, managed a rare clean sheet despite the absence of key defenders Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Brentford were left to rue missed chances, particularly when goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson flapped at a Son Heung-min corner, which resulted in Vitaly Janelt heading into his own net in the 29th minute.