Zirkzee Ends Goal Drought To Inspire Man Utd Victory At Palace

Joshua Zirkzee scored his first Premier League goal for nearly a year before Mason Mount grabbed the winner as Manchester United came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Sunday.

Ruben Amorim’s side trailed to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half penalty at Selhurst Park, but Zirkzee and Mount netted after the interval to secure United’s first win in four games.

United recovered from their lacklustre start thanks to Zirkzee’s first goal in the Premier League since he netted against Everton in December 2024.

The much-maligned Dutch striker had gone 24 league games without a goal, adding to the perception that his £36 million ($47.7 million) move from Bologna in 2024 was a bad investment.

Zirkzee, 24, had failed to score in his eight previous appearances dating back to April.

Plagued by injuries, Mount has also struggled since joining United from Chelsea, and this was just his second goal this season.

Beaten by Everton’s 10 men at Old Trafford on Monday, United’s first victory since October was a much-needed boost for Amorim.

The fact that it was Palace’s first defeat at Selhurst Park in the Premier League since February 15 underlined the challenge of United’s gritty fightback in freezing south London.

Amorim had said this week that there were “no excuses” for United’s sputtering start to the season after last term’s troubles.

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He will have been relieved to see United dig deep to subdue the FA Cup holders, who have proved a thorn in the side of the Premier League elite since Oliver Glasner took charge.

Casemiro should have given United the lead inside the first 60 seconds after a long throw caused chaos in the Palace defence, but the Brazilian’s close-range effort was parried by Dean Henderson.

Mateta was equally culpable at the other end, the France striker holding off Leny Yoro before dragging his shot wide with just United keeper Senne Lammens to beat.

Lammens was called into action to save Daichi Kamada’s low drive from the edge of the area before Yoro blocked Yeremy Pino’s goal-bound strike.

United were on the ropes, and it was little surprise when Palace took the lead in the 36th minute.

Yoro conceded the penalty with a crude lunge on Mateta, who scored from the spot only to have his goal disallowed for a double touch as he kicked the ball.

Due to a new rule implemented this season, accidental double-touch penalties are now taken again if the initial kick was successful.

The clarification was made after Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez had a penalty disallowed for kicking the ball twice against Real Madrid last season.

Granted a reprieve, Mateta confidently fired past Lammens again.

Completely anonymous in the first half, Zirkzee was Amorim’s unlikely saviour with the 54th-minute equaliser.

Running onto Bruno Fernandes’ free kick, Zirkzee controlled it on his chest and smashed a brilliant strike across Henderson into the far corner from an almost impossible angle.

Zirkzee nearly found the back of the net at the other end moments after his goal as he inadvertently deflected the ball towards Lammens’ net before it was scrambled to safety.

But United finally had some momentum, and Mount put them ahead in the 63rd minute.

Fernandes tapped a free-kick to Mount, and the former Chelsea midfielder lashed a low drive under the Palace wall and past Henderson from 20 yards.

AFP

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