Manchester United suffered yet another disappointing home defeat, falling 2-0 to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday, while Tottenham secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over Brentford to ease the pressure on Ange Postecoglou.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was the star for Palace, scoring both second-half goals as United slumped to their fifth loss in six home league games. The victory propelled Oliver Glasner’s side above the Red Devils into 12th place in the Premier League table.
United had briefly regained momentum with three consecutive wins, but it was back to square one for Ruben Amorim, whose side once again struggled for creativity and defensive solidity. His decision to start without a recognized striker—leaving both Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee on the bench—proved costly.
Young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who impressed in the midweek win over FCSB, was deployed in a false nine role and came closest to scoring, striking the post early on. However, United’s attacking threat quickly faded.
Palace, unbeaten in six of their last seven league games, missed the creative spark of Eberechi Eze, who was only fit enough for a substitute appearance. But Eze made an immediate impact, delivering the free-kick that led to Maxence Lacroix’s header striking the bar, allowing Mateta to convert the rebound.
United’s woes deepened as Lisandro Martínez was stretchered off with a suspected knee injury. Palace sealed the win when Daniel Muñoz burst through the defense and unselfishly squared for Mateta to tap in his sixth goal in five games.
Spurs ease relegation fears with Brentford win
Tottenham ended their poor run with a crucial 2-0 victory over Brentford, securing a rare clean sheet despite their injury-ravaged defense. With Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero still sidelined, Spurs were vulnerable at the back, but Brentford failed to capitalize on their chances.
The Bees contributed to their own downfall when goalkeeper Hákon Valdimarsson misjudged Son Heung-min’s corner, leading to an own goal by Vitaly Janelt in the 29th minute.
Brentford nearly found an equalizer when Yoane Wissa’s header struck the bar, but Spurs doubled their lead through Pape Sarr, who slotted the ball through Valdimarsson’s legs after a well-timed pass from Son.
The win lifts Tottenham to 14th place, 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
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