Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Old Trafford, giving Ralf Rangnick his first victory as manager.
United started off in style, as they had done in their midweek match. In the third minute, Alex Telles created their first chance with a left-footed shot from outside the area, but he was unable to locate the target.
In the opening ten minutes, David de Gea made a terrific stop as Palace tried to put United’s number one to the test. Ronaldo’s free kick in the 12th minute was a beautiful effort, but it went straight above the bar.
United was pressing brilliantly, and Rashford was causing issues for the defenders. United dominated the first twenty minutes, but they couldn’t find a way to get through Palace’s defence.
Big effort needs big support, and that's exactly what we felt on Sunday 👏
A massive thank you as always! 🔴⚪️⚫️#MUFC | #MUNCRY pic.twitter.com/goUbhQuSsG
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 5, 2021
As Rashford brought the ball back to Ronaldo, he managed only a weak shot that went straight at the goalie. Fred was playing some excellent forward balls, and Ronaldo and Fernandes were combining well.
The Palace defenders were well aware that they were in for a fight after allowing seven corners in the first half-hour, but United was unable to convert them. Palace, on the other hand, was not absolutely forced into a corner; as they gained experience in the game, they were able to create their own possibilities.
Dalot took the final kick of the half, a shot from the edge of the box that sailed just over the bar. In the second half, United came out fighting again, with Fernandes’ early shot bouncing wide.
Telles curled in a free-kick for United in the 68th minute, which ricocheted against the crossbar. The game was heating up, and Palace came near in the 76th minute when Jordan Ayew sidefooted the ball across the face of the goal after a set-piece.
Fred scored the game’s first goal in the 77th minute with a beautiful drive from the edge of the box, assisted by Mason Greenwood. In the final five minutes, Donny van de Beek won a free kick for the Reds, and Telles whipped it in close to the keeper, but the keeper knocked it over.
United continued to press forward, wanting to impress their new boss, who stood nearby with a solemn expression on his face. Palace, on the other hand, was not yet out of the game. As we approached injury time, a flurry of free-kicks and corners kept Reds fans on the edge of their seats.
Fortunately for Rangnick, United held on to give him his first taste of victory.
These are the three points we learned from the match:
Some major improvements are done by Rangnick:
A single game will never be an ultimate test for a new manager, but Ralf Ragnick has obviously imprinted some of his ideas on this Manchester United team.
The first half was a very different experience for everyone watching — not just United fans – since Palace couldn’t cope with an organized, aggressive press.
Despite the fact that their finishing lacked the end product, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes both wasting decent chances, this was encouraging in any case.
Crystal Palace [H] was Man Utd’s strongest first half of the season for:
🔘 passed ending in the final third [108]
🔘 passes into the final third [48]
🔘 touches in the opposition’s box [26]
🔘 passes into the opposition’s box [26]
🔘 possession won in the final third [6] pic.twitter.com/4wunH8xq0V— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 5, 2021
Their schedule provides some opportunity for them to get some crucial wins on the trot and the actual judgment will be don’t on the basis of their consistency in these games.
Fred is on fire at the moment:
Since Fred joined United from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2019, there has been a lot of talk about him. He joined for £54 million and failed to maintain consistency, his diminutive physique not suited to the intensity and violence of the English game.
But, following his brilliant midweek performance against Arsenal, Fred stepped up to score the game-winning goal against Crystal Palace, putting himself in good shape for the festive season.
An important victory, settled in style by @Fred08Oficial 👌#MUFC | @RemingtonUK pic.twitter.com/qooSawxwyI
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 6, 2021
Under Solskjaer, the Brazilian failed to show consistency and was heavily criticized but he has been playing his best game under the new manager. Long live his fine form.
United fullbacks drawing attention:
United’s fullbacks have been lacking the final cut this season, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw both struggling to have an attacking influence. While Shaw has looked off the pace, there are greater concerns about the development of Wan-Bissaka with some claiming the defender will never be good enough on the ball for a top team.
Diogo Dalot and Alex Telles have both impressed in their absence, with their attacking powers affording United a lot going forward in the wins over Arsenal and Palace.
Both fullbacks were given an eight out of ten for their performance today, and it’s encouraging to see them pressing to claim a spot in the starting XI.
What’s next:
Manchester United plays against BSC Young Boys in a Champions League group stage match on Thursday. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace will play against Everton on Sunday.
