Manchester United stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to 11 matches after fighting back to secure a 2-1 victory over 10-man Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
The hosts’ flawless league record in 2026 was immediately put under pressure when Palace stunned the home crowd inside five minutes.
A deep corner from Brennan Johnson caused chaos in the box, allowing Maxence Lacroix to shrug off his marker and power a precise header into the far corner.
It was the first time United had trailed at home in the league since mid-December, and Palace nearly doubled their advantage soon after.
Ismaila Sarr raced onto a Daniel Munoz pass, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens reacted sharply to keep the deficit at one.
With Oliver Glasner heavily linked to the United job ahead of the summer, Palace’s confident first-half display served as a timely reminder of his credentials.
Meanwhile, United appeared nervy, squandering promising positions with poor decision-making in the final third.
Their best openings before the break came from set-pieces. Bruno Fernandes tested Dean Henderson with a well-struck free-kick, and Casemiro later glanced a header narrowly wide from another inviting delivery.
United emerged for the second half with greater urgency. Benjamin Sesko came close to levelling, only for Jaydee Canvot to produce a crucial block.
The turning point arrived just before the hour mark when Lacroix hauled down Matheus Cunha inside the area. After a VAR review confirmed the foul had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity, the defender was shown a red card.
Fernandes calmly converted the resulting penalty to restore parity, and the momentum firmly swung United’s way. The decisive goal soon followed, with Fernandes again the provider.
His pinpoint cross was met by Sesko, who powered a header past Henderson to net his fourth goal in five matches.
Despite Henderson denying late efforts from Casemiro and Amad Diallo, United comfortably saw out the closing stages with their numerical advantage intact.
The win lifts them up to third in the table, while Palace now turn their attention to a London derby against Spurs in midweek.
