Man Utd 2-1 Crystal Palace: Bruno & Rashford seal win despite Casemiro sent off

Bruno & Rashford seal win despite Casemiro sent off. Sabitzer debuts for Man Utd 

Match Report

What is it about Casemiro and Crystal Palace? Seventeen days had passed since his needless yellow card at Selhurst Park sent Manchester United into a spin as they through away the lead in injury-time. This time it was a red and the outcome was so nearly the same for Erik ten Hag.

United seemed to be in control and cruising to victory here at Old Trafford, as they had been in south London last month. Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford looked to have taken the game away from Palace this time.

But it all threatened to unravel again in the 66th minute from the most unlikely to scenarios. United had a throw-in level with the Palace box, but as Antony received the ball and tried to shield it, Jeffrey Schlupp ploughed into the back of the Brazilian and barged him off the pitch.

Casemiro was first on the scene to defend his compatriot as he pushed Schlupp in the chest, and Antony sprang off the floor to barge him as well. The rest of the players steamed as tempers boiled over and a 20-man melee threatened to get completely out of hand.

As referee Andre Marriner waited to restore order and mete out the appropriate punishments, he was informed by VAR official Tony Harrington that Casemiro's stranglehold on Will Hughes might be worth a second look.

Marriner went to the monitor and agreed with Harrington for the second time in the game, having earlier penalised Hughes for handball.

Casemiro was off and once again United will be left counting the cost. When he was booked for a foul on Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park, it triggered an immediate one-match ban. United lost their heads in the dying minutes of that game as Michael Olise equalised in injury-time, and then lost at Arsenal four days later without their midfield talisman.

Casemiro will be missing for three games this time – two potentially feisty affairs against Leeds home and away, and the game against Leicester here at Old Trafford. His loss cannot be understated.

At least on this occasion, United held on to win despite Schlupp of all people scoring to make it a far more nervy ending than it should have been.

Ten Hag had named new loan signing Marcel Sabitzer on the bench but there was no sign of Anthony Martial who, infuriatingly for the manager, was injured again after making a goalscoring comeback against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.

Patrick Vieira was also able to put his January signings on the bench with Naouirou Ahamada, purchased from Stuttgart for £10.6million, and Albert Lokonga, on loan from Arsenal, sat together.

Unfortunately for the Palace boss, parity lasted less than seven minutes following an incident in the fourth minute that took a little while to sort out.

Rashford retrieved the ball after Luke Shaw's pass into the box was blocked, and attempted a cross of his own. Hughes closed him down and managed to block the ball but, unfortunately for the Palace midfielder, it was with the use of his right hand. Hughes may argue that he was close to Rashford, but the hand was high above his head when contact was made.

VAR thought as much and advised referee Marriner to view the pitchside monitor. From that point on it felt like a formality, and so did the fact that Fernandes would convert from the penalty spot.

The Portuguese advanced towards the ball with that little skip and stutter step before sending Vicente Guaita the wrong way as he rolled the ball into the bottom left-hand corner. Fernandes has now contributed a goal or assist of United's five Premier League games in January.

The flow of the game continued to go very much in the direction of Guaita's goal, even though United weren't able to add to their lead before half-time.

Rashford forced the Spaniard into a smart save at his near post when he ran onto Fernandes' pass and touched the ball around Chris Richards. Another of his efforts flew over the bar, and Antony fired straight at the Palace keeper.

At times it felt almost too easy for Ten Hag's team. In one move just after the half hour mark, Rashford cheekily passed the ball through Nathaniel Clyne's legs to Casemiro who did the same to Cheick Doucoure as the bamboozled Palace midfielder conceded a corner.

No doubt Ten Hag would prefer to see Wout Weghorst in the middle, but the 6ft 6in Dutchman turned provider when he drifted wide to pick up Rashford's pass and drilled the ball in for Fred who directed into the side-netting.

However, United paid the price for not killing Palace off last month, and the visitors served warning that they were still in this one as well by rallying before half-time.

David de Gea was forced into his first save in the 42nd minute when Olise fed Schlupp who realised he had more space than he expected. Schlupp drove forward and let fly from 25 yards, but De Gea was alert enough to dive to his left and push the ball away.

Normal service resumed after the break, though, and Rashford went close with a rising shot over the bar after expertly killing Fernandes' crossfield pass with one touch.

United still lacked the penetration to make the most of their possession, and Ten Hag responded by sending on Alejandro Garnacho for Weghorst in a moved which saw Rashford take up a more central role.

It paid off immediately. United moved the ball around through Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Fernandes and Antony before it reached Garnacho. The young Argentina international ran across the edge of the box and fed Shaw. He crossed low to Rashford who was standing between two defenders and stuck out a leg to stab the ball under Guaita from close range.

However, Casemiro's sending-off changed the mood around Old Trafford. Once again, United had gone from feeling in control to a sense of panic.

De Gea produced a reflex save to punch Marc Guehi's header over and concede another corner, but when Lisandro Martinez cleared as far as Doucoure in the 76th minute, his shot into the ground bounced up kindly for Schlupp who turned the ball home. Suddenly United were reeling.

Ten Hag sent on Sabitzer for his debut to try and steady the ship, followed by Victor Lindelof for Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire for the unfortunate Garnacho, who looked about as happy as you would expect when his afternoon was cut short after 28 minutes.

It did the trick, though. United clung on through seven minutes of added time for a 13th straight win in all competitions to move within eight points of leaders Arsenal. But it was a lot tighter than it should have been.

Match Events

0' KICK-OFF! Who can win this match?

7' Penalty Goal! Man Utd 1-0 Crystal Palace (Bruno Fernandes)

13' What a save from Guaita!

27' CLOSE! Rashford’s shot wide out

36' OFF THE POST!

54' AGAIN! Rashford’s shot wide out

60' Garnacho replace Weghorst

63' GOAL! Man Utd 2-0 Crystal Palace (Rashford)

70' Red Card! Casemiro sent off

73' SuperSave From DeGea

74' GOAL! Man Utd 2-1 Crystal Palace (Schlupp)

87' CHANCE! Mateta‘s header over the bar

Line-ups

Man Utd XI: De Gea, Casemiro, Varane, Fred, Shaw, Weghorst, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Wan-Bissaka, Martinez, Antony

Subs: Heaton, Lindelof, Sabitzer, Maguire, Dalot, Sancho, Tyrell Malacia, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Clyne, Jordan Ayew, Schlupp, Hughes, Odsonne Edouard, Guehi, Cheick Doucouré, Chris Richards, Michael Olise, Tyrick Mitchell

Subs: Tomkins, Milivojevic, Sam Johnstone, Riedewald, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Naouirou Ahamada, Joe Whitworth