Manchester United defeated Crystal Palace by a 1-0 scoreline at Old Trafford.
Crystal Palace was unable to control the game as United’s high pressing kept them at the bay majority of the time. With an impressive dominance in possession, Ralf Rangnick’s men were a joy to watch on Sunday.
In the 77th minute, Fred broke the tie with an excellent shot from just outside the box, securing all three points for United today.
Let’s look at how each Manchester United player performed in the match against the Eagles.
David de Gea: 7
The Spanish goalkeeper didn’t have to make many saves, but he handled everything that was thrown at him effortlessly.
Alex Telles: 8
Alex Telles' game by numbers vs. Crystal Palace:
104 touches
14 final third entries
14 penalty box entries
10 duels won
9 crosses
7 tackles made
4 ball recoveries
3 aerial duels won
2 shotsAnd a little dance. 🕺 pic.twitter.com/AtZRro9Ylx
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 5, 2021
By stretching the game down the left flank, the Brazilian wing-back gave United’s attacks a new dimension. He was very effective on defense.
Harry Maguire: 7
His performance tonight was highlighted by the fact that he made no errors. Nonetheless, he did a good job of keeping things in the back in order.
Victor Lindelof: 8
12 – Man Utd won possession in the final third 12 times against Crystal Palace today, at least five more occasions than they managed in any other Premier League game this season. Ethos. pic.twitter.com/pILc0I9K0G
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 5, 2021
Underappreciated and underrated. To stop the Palace attackers from posing a threat, the Swedish defender executed several crunching tackles. Furthermore, over the course of the 90 minutes, he positioned himself incredibly well.
Diogo Dalot: 8
Dalot, like Telles, caused a slew of problems for Palace’s attackers on the right-wing. His deliveries into the box, on the other hand, could have been a little better.
Scott McTominay: 7
For the first time in years, the Scotland international pressed hard and effectively, and it was an understatement to say that it paid off as he put a stop to Palace’s counter-attacking plans on multiple occasions.
Fred: 9
Fred has now been directly involved in more Premier League goals this week (2) than the 2019/20 and 2020/21 season combined.
🅰️ vs. Arsenal
⚽️ vs. Crystal PalaceFred Devil. 👹 pic.twitter.com/ucVDrhXEY0
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 5, 2021
The Brazilian midfielder scored a spectacular goal from right outside the box to give United all three points tonight. If he continues to train at this level under Rangnick, he might become one of the top holding midfielders in the world.
Bruno Fernandes: 7
Over the course of the 90 minutes, the Portuguese playmaker generated numerous chances for his teammates.
Jadon Sancho: 7
The former Dortmund winger was able to effortlessly cut through Palace’s defense, but he struggled with his decision-making in front of the goal.
Marcus Rashford: 6
During the build-ups and in the final third, the England international appeared to be rather blunt.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 7
In the first half, the Portugal international squandered a couple of decent chances. His link-up play was also underwhelming. But his off-the-ball work rate was excellent.
Substitutes:
Mason Greenwood: 7
He was credited with the game-winning assist on Fred’s goal.
Anthony Elanga: 6
He injected energy into United’s attack.
Donny Van de Beek: N/A
Too late to be rated.
