MOUNT, ZIRKZEE GOALS LIFT MAN UTD TO SIXTH, END CRYSTAL PALACE HOME RUN
Ruben Amorim's Man Utd secured a crucial 2-1 comeback win at Crystal Palace, thanks to Zirkzee and Mount. The win ends a five-year drought at Selhurst Park.
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Ruben Amorim must have been relieved. Somehow, Manchester United managed to beat Crystal Palace at their home for the first time in the Premier League since February. It also ended United's five-year wait for a win at this stadium, especially after a first half where Palace should have been way ahead.
Oliver Glasner’s team was strong and deserved to lead because of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty. Still, they couldn't take advantage of their dominance. United, who hadn't scored against Palace in their previous four league games, suddenly scored twice in nine minutes through Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount to win the game.
It was a bad day for Glasner, who had a tough week and had been mentioned as a possible candidate for United in the past. Plus, Ismaïla Sarr had to leave the game with an injury before halftime. Amorim, on the other hand, probably kept his cool as he went to the locker room after the game. But he must have been happy inside after United's better play, which moved them above Palace to sixth place.
Amorim didn't want to compare his tactics with Glasner’s before the game, but he did say that Palace was doing things better than us. After their loss to 10-man Everton, he changed both wing-backs. Amad Diallo moved to the right, and Diogo Dalot replaced Patrick Dorgu because the Danish player admitted he feels anxious when wearing a United jersey.
After playing against Strasbourg in the Conference League, Glasner asked Palace’s players to keep going, even though it's getting close to the end of November. Even though they could have won if they had taken their chances, he'll be worried about how much their performance dropped after they fell behind.
United must have seen a chance to win, since they had three more days to get ready. They almost scored after just 43 seconds when a long throw caused trouble in Palace's area, but Dean Henderson, the former United goalie, made a great save to stop Casemiro.
That close call woke up Palace after the early start time for TV. Soon, they had many chances. After missing a lot of opportunities, Mateta missed two shots in the first 15 minutes. Adam Wharton also shot straight at Senne Lammens after a corner before setting up a great move that ended with a bad shot from Daichi Kamada.
But after contract talks stalled, Mateta scored. Another good pass from Wharton caused Leny Yoro to foul Mateta in the box. Mateta scored the penalty, but it was called back by VAR for touching the ball twice. A change in the rules now allows a re-take if the initial penalty is good, and Mateta scored again.
With Zirkzee isolated in attack, United couldn't respond and should have been further behind at halftime. Luke Shaw blocked a shot from Pino, and Eddie Nketiah hesitated when he had a clear chance on goal, and the chance was gone.
Henderson wore a baseball cap to shield his eyes from the sun, but he probably wasn't happy to let United tie the game eight minutes into the second half. Palace was caught off guard by a quick free kick from Bruno Fernandes, and Zirkzee chested the ball down and shot it into the far corner. He and the United fans were surprised.
After a scramble in front of the goal where Zirkzee almost scored on his own net, United's day got better. A few minutes later, Marc Guéhi fouled Zirkzee on the edge of Palace’s box. There was a pause in the wall when Fernandes passed the free kick to Mount, who scored past Henderson.
Without Sarr's speed, Palace barely had any more chances, and United held on for a big win.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
