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100% long balls, 100% ground duels, 4 clearances: United star deserved more from his teammates in humbling loss to Palace

    100%-long-balls,-100%-ground-duels,-4-clearances:-united-star-deserved-more-from-his-teammates-in-humbling-loss-to-palace
    100% long balls, 100% ground duels, 4 clearances: United star deserved more from his teammates in humbling loss to Palace

    Manchester United were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

    Frenchman Jean-Phillipe Mateta netted a second-half brace to bring Ruben Amorim and his players back to reality after a three-game winning streak.

    United’s 2-0 loss at the Theatre of Dreams means that, since the start of last season, only Wolves have lost more matches at home in the league than them.

    Additionally, the defeat also marks their fifth home loss out of six in the league. It also means that Palace have leapfrogged them in the table, with United dropping down to 13th place.

    The Red Devils managed 67% possession in comparison to Palace’s 33% share of the ball.

    United fired just two shots on target from their total 17 cracks at goal. The visitors, on the other hand, registered 11 total shots, three of which required Andre Onana to intervene.

    Amorim’s men put together 557 passes with a success rate of 81%. Palace strung 282 passes with a completion rate of 65%.

    Not many United players turned up but one who did was Leny Yoro. With Matthijs de Ligt starting on the bench, Yoro was given the nod by Amorim to slot into the three-man defence alongside Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez.

    During the time he was on the pitch, Yoro made an impressive four clearances.

    He made one interception and as many tackles and blocked shots. He also came out on top in the one ground duel he was required to contest.

    The former Lille man was challenged for two aerial duels, winning one.

    Yoro touched the ball 66 times and managed to find his teammates with 53 of the 56 passes he attempted.

    The teenager successfully connected with all four long balls he attempted to ping. He also tried to test Dean Henderson in the Palace goal but he couldn’t direct his header on target.

    (Stats obtained from Sofascore)

    Yoro was certainly one of the few positives during a disappointing afternoon. United are back in action on Friday when they host Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City in the FA Cup.

    Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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    Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

    Amorim gives extremely concerning five-word injury update on Martinez after defeat to Palace

      amorim-gives-extremely-concerning-five-word-injury-update-on-martinez-after-defeat-to-palace
      Amorim gives extremely concerning five-word injury update on Martinez after defeat to Palace

      Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has revealed that Lisandro Martinez’s injury appears to be very serious.

      Martinez was in tears as he was taken off the Old Trafford pitch on a stretcher during his side’s 2-0 loss against Crystal Palace.

      Jean-Phillipe Mateta bagged a second-half brace to hand United their 11th top-flight defeat of the season.

      In the 83rd minute of proceedings, Martinez was replaced by Matthijs de Ligt following his withdrawal. The fact that he was stretchered off and he was in tears, suggests the Argentine knows he could spend a considerable amount of time on the sidelines.

      After the final whistle, Amorim spoke to Sky Sports and was asked for an update on Martinez.

      The United head coach replied, “We are going to see in the next days but I think it is a serious situation. He is not only a great player but a strong character in the dressing room.”

      “He felt it and when you are a player, you know when it is something serious. We are here to help him in this difficult moment like he has helped us.”

      On the result and his team’s performance, Amorim pointed out, “The result is really bad. The performance was a little bit better than the last games. We controlled the transitions quite well for Crystal Palace. We suffered two goals that we can avoid and the injury on Lisandro Martinez was tough for the team.”

      Amorim called for the fans to remain positive even as he works to change things at the club.

      “It’s normal for the fans to feel negative, it is a hard season for them but football can change in certain moments. I will prepare the next game and move forward. Better things will come.”

      The Portuguese coach also told BBC Match of the Day, “During the game, I felt that the team did some things well. We suffered two goals that we can avoid, which is really disappointing today. We take some things from the performance but not the result.”

      “It is a hard season at this moment, the players try different things to improve. We need to move forward. We had more possession, more connections, we created chances but we couldn’t score and that was the difference today.”

      United’s 2-0 defeat at the Theatre of Dreams means that, since the start of last season, only Wolves have lost more matches at home in the league than the Red Devils.

      Asked if there is extra pressure playing at home, Amorim stated, “I didn’t feel that but it is difficult to play here because we want to please our fans. This season is going to be like that, I said it since the first day.”

      On whether United will do any business ahead of tomorrow’s transfer deadline, Amorim responded, “That is with a lot of people in the club, I focus on the next game.”

      United are back in action on Friday when they take on Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City in the FA Cup.

      Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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      Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

      Amorim sends a pointed message to INEOS with his team selection gamble vs Palace, United need immediate help

        amorim-sends-a-pointed-message-to-ineos-with-his-team-selection-gamble-vs-palace,-united-need-immediate-help
        Amorim sends a pointed message to INEOS with his team selection gamble vs Palace, United need immediate help

        Manchester United produced yet another dismal display at Old Trafford in the Premier League as they suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace on Sunday.

        The Eagles have now overtaken the Red Devils in the league table, with Ruben Amorim’s side dropping down to 13th as a result of the defeat.

        This was their seventh home defeat this season, the most the club have lost at this stage of the campaign in over a 100 years. And the records will keep on getting broken if INEOS do not act now.

        United had only two shots on target despite enjoying twice as much possession as the visitors while also winning 11 corners to 0.

        Amorim sends a message to the owners

        Apart from a 15-minute spell at the start of either half, the hosts lacked any real cutting-edge up front and the experiment to play with Kobbie Mainoo as a false 9 clearly did not work.

        The club have spent in excess of €100 million to bring Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in but it was a damning indictment on the club to see a midfielder lining up as a striker at home against a team from the bottom-half of the table.

        Both strikers belatedly emerged in the second half but could not trouble the scorers, not that many had any high hopes from them. in the first place

        Both Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu were unveiled before kick-off but Amorim desperately needs a striker before the end of the window or things could get even worse for the 20-time English league champions.

        The Dane will be a huge improvement on Diogo Dalot who was once again poor on the left. The Portuguese clearly struggles out on that flank but the head coach is forced to play him there due to lack of options.

        Huge injury blow

        Even worse, Lisandro Martinez seems to be heading for a long spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury that had him in tears.

        The Argentine was looking like he was finally back to his best in this system but now, the coach will have to find yet another solution.

        With Luke Shaw injured, there is a lack of a left-footed defender and it will be interesting to see if Heaven gets immediate minutes.

        Amorim should have tweaked his system a long while ago but he remains adamant and it looks like this season will be a huge embarrassment for the club.

        The defence keeps leaking goals, conceding 22 times at home, more than even Leicester City have let in at their home ground, with the Foxes looking primed to get relegated.

        Facing them under the lights at the Theatre of Dreams in the FA Cup has just turned into an even bigger challenge now. Amorim must be praying that his new signings can hit the ground running and help the team out of this current mess.

        Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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        Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25

        one tackle, one yellow card, one moment of madness: United defender’s recklessness at the heart of 2-0 loss to Palace

          one-tackle,-one-yellow-card,-one-moment-of-madness:-united-defender’s-recklessness-at-the-heart-of-2-0-loss-to-palace
          one tackle, one yellow card, one moment of madness: United defender’s recklessness at the heart of 2-0 loss to Palace

          Harry Maguire was a constant struggler as Manchester United crashed to a 2-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

          While Man United were the dominant side going into the half-time break, enjoying the lion’s share of possession and taking a barrage of shots, they capitulated in the second half, showing their defensive vulnerability from the offset.

          Despite maintaining a meagre 33% possession of the ball, Palace were deadly on the counter-attack, catching United off guard on several occasions.

          Sadly, Maguire was unable to mobilise his teammates in an effort to shut out the Palace attack.

          Just four minutes after the start of the second half, Maguire showed his frustration, earning an unnecessary yellow card by taking out the legs of Jean-Phillipe Mateta.

          Despite being one of United’s best players in the air, he was completely absent in the 64th minute, when Daniel Munoz’s floating header hit the crossbar and fell to Mateta, who buried the ball into the back of the net.

          While invisible for the first goal, Maguire was completely at fault for the second. Although Mateta appeared to be offside when he scored from a quick counter, it was Maguire who kept him onside. What’s worse is that the centre-back was standing in an unhelpful area, not covering any attacking player.

          If there was one area of Maguire’s game that was decent, it was his headers. The Englishman won six of his nine aerial duels.

          While he made five clearances and four interceptions, he struggled to perform deep in United’s final third. He made just one tackle the entire match.

          Maguire completed 58 of his 73 passes for a 79% accuracy. Notably, he made one key pass.

          While he completed three of six long balls, Maguire did not attempt a cross.

          Although Maguire was strong in the air and made some impressive interceptions, his mistakes were at fault for the loss, particularly by playing Mateta onside for the second goal.

          Ultimately, Maguire will want to reflect long and hard on this match so that he can rediscover his form and once again be the capable defender that he has been on multiple occasions throughout the season.

          (Stats via Sofascore)

          Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

          Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

          A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.

          Man Utd: Rashford exit ‘had to happen’ as Neville feels ‘far better team’ could suit Aston Villa new boy

            man-utd:-rashford-exit-‘had-to-happen’-as-neville-feels-‘far-better-team’-could-suit-aston-villa-new-boy
            Man Utd: Rashford exit ‘had to happen’ as Neville feels ‘far better team’ could suit Aston Villa new boy

            Gary Neville has stated Aston Villa are a “far better team” than Manchester United at the moment, and Marcus Rashford exiting Old Trafford “had to happen” after getting “battered” by Ruben Amorim.

            Rashford has been sidelined by Amorim since early December. The manager has not been a fan of what he’s seen from the United forward, and has not been shy of saying that on multiple occasions.

            He is closing in on a loan move to Villa, with the Midlanders having an option to buy him for £40million at the end of that.

            Former United defender Neville feels the move is right for Rashford, with Villa ticking a lot of boxes that United no longer do for him.

            “It had to happen. He had to get out of the club. He’s been battered in the last few weeks by his manager. That’s the most important person in football, your coach,” Neville told Sky Sports.

            “Some of the statements from Ruben Amorim towards Marcus Rashford have been brutal, emphatically saying he doesn’t want him. I don’t see how there’s any way back after the comments made.

            “Moving onto the question about Villa, I think there are a number of things in his favour. He’s going to a far better team at this moment in time. He’s going to a coach who’s world class, which I think is a real opportunity for him. I think it puts pressure on Marcus to perform for Unai Emery.

            “If you don’t play for him, then you’re saying, well, Ruben Amorim might be the problem, Erik Ten Hag might be the problem. Unai Emery can’t be the problem for Marcus Rashford, he has to play well for him. The other thing is the style of play at Villa, which could suit Marcus Rashford.

            MORE ON ASTON VILLA FROM F365:
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            👉 Merson hits out at Arsenal transfer ‘farce’ in ‘shock’ PL title claim; wants one star dropped vs Man City
            👉 Tottenham make ‘approach’ in Aston Villa blow as ex-Chelsea star ‘rejects’ Spurs transfer

            “Maybe the spotlight won’t be on him quite as much as at Manchester United, but certainly there’ll still be a lot of attention. They’re in a lot of competitions, they’ve still got a lot to play for. It’s a real opportunity for Marcus. The last thing he needs now is for someone to say ‘go on, enjoy yourself’. He needs to have discipline in his game.

            “He needs to be coached, he needs to know from the team exactly what it is they want from him. Unai Emery will do that. He’s an absolutely amazing coach and he’s exactly what Marcus Rashford needs and what he’s got to do is buy into it.”

            READ MORE: Man Utd transfer: Romano confirms ‘here we go’ on Marcus Rashford deal to Aston Villa

            Four things we learned as United’s Groundhog Day continues in drab 0-2 defeat to Palace

              four-things-we-learned-as-united’s-groundhog-day-continues-in-drab-0-2-defeat-to-palace
              Four things we learned as United’s Groundhog Day continues in drab 0-2 defeat to Palace

              Manchester United welcomed Crystal Palace to Old Trafford, searching for their fourth consecutive win.

              Andre Onana started in goal with Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire forming the back three.

              Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot were named as the starting wing-backs while Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte formed the midfield duo.

              In an interesting move, Ruben Amorim left both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee on the bench, with Amad, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo making up the attacking trio.

              Here are four things we learnt from the match.

              No striker in front three interesting but not the solution

              One of Ruben Amorim’s best traits so far is his ability to change things when they are not working and he made the brave call to drop Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund to the bench.

              Kobbie Mainoo impressed as a number 10 on Thursday night in Romania and was given the task of playing as a false nine against Palace.

              It was almost the perfect start when he struck the post after just seven minutes and almost created a goal for Garnacho.

              Unfortunately his threat faded as the half went on and United lacked any real presence in the box.

              United struggle to score goals in the Premier League and this is largely due to the lack of natural goalscorers in the team. Moreover, there are rarely any attacking options in the box when the Reds do get into dangerous attacking positions.

              United have a major issue at home

              When Jean-Philippe Mateta put Palace in front after 64 minutes it marked a horrible statistic for United.

              It was the sixth consecutive Premier League game at Old Trafford that United conceded the opening goal.

              In other words, not since the 1st December against Everton have the Red Devils scored first at the Theatre of Dreams.

              This is clearly a mental block that must be dealt with if United are to salvage anything from this season.

              Matthijs De Ligt is a miss when he doesn’t play

              Whilst United have been less open than the chaos ball days of Erik ten Hag, they still regularly make strange choices in defence.

              The home side had the majority of the ball in the first half but it was Palace who carved out the majority of the real chances on goal.

              Matthijs de Ligt dropped to the bench and in his absence, the home side suffered as the Eagles passed up at least three good chances to score on the break.

              The Dutchman is far from the perfect defender and he has had his own moments of madness this season, but he often makes a difference when he is on the pitch and others tend to up their game around him.

              Amad not his usual self

              The young Ivorian has been the club’s brightest spark this season and is without doubt the club’s most dangerous attacking option.

              Nonetheless, the 22 year old was far from his best this afternoon.

              He played with his usual energy and endeavour but he struggled to make much impact on the match.

              When he did get on the ball, he was careless in possession, giving the ball away on numerous occasions and strangely making poor passing choices in the final third.

              All of this is perfectly normal for such a young player but it says a lot about United’s current state that they rely so much on the form of such an inexperienced attacking option.

              Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

              Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

              Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.

              Time after time: this constant defensive error led United to embarrassing 2-0 home loss to Palace

                time-after-time:-this-constant-defensive-error-led-united-to-embarrassing-2-0-home-loss-to-palace
                Time after time: this constant defensive error led United to embarrassing 2-0 home loss to Palace

                Manchester United fell to a humiliating 2-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

                History repeated itself as Man United fell foul of defensive errors from set pieces yet again, enabling Palace to grab their opening goal.

                The visitors got off to a fast start, running into United’s third with a blistering counter. While Amad Diallo recovered the ball, he made the bizarre decision to dribble back toward the goal to shake off his opponents rather than get rid of the ball. While he managed to get the ball out of danger, it was a peculiar decision from the winger to play out from the back under such pressure.

                Bruno Fernandes played a decent long ball up to Noussair Mazraoui on the right, who passed to Kobbie Mainoo. Mainoo threaded a through ball to Alejandro Garnacho, whose shot was deflected out for a corner, which was successfully defended.

                A moment later, United were on the counter, with Amad laying the ball off to Mainoo whose shot thumped the upright. Some positive attacking play from United despite playing without a striker up top.

                On the stroke of 10 minutes, Palace missed a sitter. Daniel Muñoz beat the defence to get on the end of a well-timed cross, although his headed effort sailed over the top.

                14 minutes in, United won a corner, with Martinez taking a shot that was blocked by a resolute Palace defence.

                Mateta sparked a daring counter-attack, cutting back the ball to Maxence Lacroix, who forced an impressive save from Andre Onana with a thunderous long-range effort.

                Soon after, Palace came close to scoring again when Ismaïla Sarr directed his close-range header wide. Palace were really knocking on the door in search of an opening goal.

                Seven minutes before the break, Palace came inches within inches of scoring when Mateta broke through the defence, leaving Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire in the dust. Fortunately, his effort was pulled wide of the far post, allowing the Old Trafford crowd to breathe a sigh of relief. United would need to tighten up at the back in order to hold onto their clean sheet.

                One minute of stoppage time was announced as United camped themselves in the final third. Struggling to find a breakthrough, finally, Martinez had an opening. Unfortunately, he floated his effort over the top.

                0-0 the score remained following a turbulent half of football. Ruben Amorim clearly needed to spark some life into his attacking lineup in order for them to find a breakthrough in what should be a straightforward home win.

                Three minutes after the restart, Maguire received a yellow card for a slide tackle on Mateta, handing Palace a free kick just right of the penalty box.

                The ball floated to Guehi, whose header was caught by Onana. United got off to a blistering counter, with Amad threading the ball to Fernandes in the middle, whose dangerous shot was parried out for a corner by Dean Henderson.

                53 minutes in, United earned a free-kick when Fernandes was roughly taken down by Will Hughes. Fernandes crossed the ball to Maguire in the box, who headed the ball to Ugarte. While Ugarte’s shot was powerful, the resolute Palace defence somehow kept it out.

                In the 64th minute, Palace broke the deadlock in front of a mortified Old Trafford crowd. Eze crossed the ball into the box from his free-kick, finding the head of Lacroix, who beat Yoro in the air and sent a looping header over Onana. While his effort hit the crossbar, Mateta was positioned perfectly to scoop up the loose ball and blast it into the back of the net.

                After the goal, Fernandes received a yellow card for arguing with the referee.

                With little over 20 minutes to play, Mainoo was taken off for Rasmus Hojlund while Mazraoui made way for Joshua Zirkzee.

                16 minutes to go, and Ugarte received a yellow card for a mistimed challenge.

                The resulting free-kick almost saw Palace double their lead. Dalot failed to stay on Jefferson Lerma, whose header whizzed past a helpless Onana as well as the far post.

                Two minutes later, disaster struck. Lisandro Martinez slumped to the ground after his knee buckled in a graphic manner. Clearly, he suffered a highly worrying injury, with Matthijs de Ligt getting ready to replace him.

                Amorim would be hoping that the injury looked worse than it was.

                Sadly, Martinez was beside himself with pain. The medical staff crowded around the centre-back for a few minutes, assisting him and securing him in the stretcher.

                As expected, De Ligt came on to replace the injured Martinez.

                Fernandes crossed in another corner in the 86th minute, which yet again amounted to nothing as the keeper caught the ball. That’s 10 corners for United with nothing to show for them.

                Christian Eriksen came on for Ugarte, making his 300th Premier League appearance.

                Two minutes from time, the visitors doubled their lead. After intercepting a United ball in their own half, Palace surged up the field, with Munoz getting on the end of a long pass on the right flank. He passed it to Mateta in the centre, who buried the ball into the back of the net.

                Nine minutes of added time were announced following Martinez’s horrific injury.

                With little action from United in stoppage time, fans will surely be wondering how much longer it will take Amorim to mend United’s defensive errors.

                Still, the blame cannot be squarely placed on Amorim. It’s clear that new signings are required to bolster United’s attack and defence, raising questions as to why Ineos did not launch a spending spree in the January transfer window.

                Starting XI: Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Fernandes, Yoro, Amad, Garnacho, Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo
                Subs: Hojlund, Zirkzee, De Ligt, Eriksen

                Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

                Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.

                Dalot was shambolic, but this United star was the real problem in humiliating loss vs Palace

                  dalot-was-shambolic,-but-this-united-star-was-the-real-problem-in-humiliating-loss-vs-palace
                  Dalot was shambolic, but this United star was the real problem in humiliating loss vs Palace

                  Manchester United suffered a 2-0 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. Here are our player ratings from the game.

                  (A score of 6 is around average)

                  Andre Onana 5 – Should have perhaps done a little bit better for Palace’s opener. Not the best positioning or goalkeeping as Jean-Philippe Mateta polished off a set-piece routine that saw the ball loop back into the six-yard box after bouncing off the crossbar.

                  Leny Yoro 6 – Did well until Palace broke the deadlock. Could have got a bit tighter to Maxence Lacroix, who hit the bar.

                  Harry Maguire 3 –  Good in the first half, dominating in the air despite one or two shaky moments. Lost Mateta for the first goal of the afternoon. Also played Daniel Muñoz onside for the second strike, which dashed whatever hopes United harboured of mounting a comeback.

                  Lisandro Martinez 6  – Got involved in a few fair battles on the left. Seems to have picked up a serious injury and was in tears as he was carried off on a stretcher. Hope to see him back on the pitch soon.

                  Noussair Mazraoui 5 – Not his best performance. Some poor passing and sloppy moments in possession. Just doesn’t offer enough as a wing-back. Better suited at right-centre-back as he showed in the Europa League on Thursday.

                  Manuel Ugarte 4 – Poor today. Constantly played through and made multiple bad decisions both in and out of possession.

                  Bruno Fernandes 7 – Dropped deep to conduct play and tried to make things happen in attack with some good crosses into the box. Forced Dean Henderson into a good save.

                  Diogo Dalot 3 – Offered next to nothing going forward. Lapse in concentration that nearly cost United at the back post. Simply not good enough.

                  Alejandro Garnacho 5 – Good first half, being direct and using the ball well. His threat waned as the game went on and the Palace defenders were largely comfortable against him.

                  Amad Diallo 5 – Not a good day in the office. Misplaced passes and didn’t really link up with his teammates as well as he usually does.

                  Kobbie Mainoo 5 – Bright start in the false nine role and hit the post, but faded from there and never really got back into the game

                  Substitutes

                  Rasmus Hojlund 4 – No impact whatsoever when he came on. Waste of a substitution really.

                  Joshua Zirkzee 4 – Same as Hojlund.

                  Matthijs de Ligt 5 – Didn’t do anything wrong as he came in to replace the injured Martinez. United could have done with him starting today.

                  Christian Eriksen 5  -On the pitch for a very limited period.

                  Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

                  Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                  Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

                  Ronaldo vs Henry? Arsenal ‘haven’t given up’ in race to beat Man Utd to forward as Kane fires warning

                    ronaldo-vs-henry?-arsenal-‘haven’t-given-up’-in-race-to-beat-man-utd-to-forward-as-kane-fires-warning
                    Ronaldo vs Henry? Arsenal ‘haven’t given up’ in race to beat Man Utd to forward as Kane fires warning

                    Arsenal are still firmly in the race to sign Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel despite Man Utd pushing hard for his signature, according to reports.

                    The Gunners and the Red Devils are both desperate to improve their forward line ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

                    Multiple clubs in the Premier League are looking for a forward who can score crucial goals as the season comes to a head in the next few months.

                    Arsenal are suffering from injuries to key players Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka, while Man Utd are struggling to score enough Premier League goals under Amorim.

                    And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed an update on Sunday morning over Arsenal and Man Utd’s interest in Bayern Munich forward Tel, who is a France Under-21 international.

                    Romano wrote on X: ‘Understand Manchester United and Arsenal are both in contact with Mathys Tel’s camp now! Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Thierry] Henry are two of the main idols for Mathys who’s now considering his options. Still concrete chances to leave Bayern in the final 36h, waiting on final decision.’

                    TBR Football now claim that Arsenal ‘still haven’t given up on signing Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel before Monday’s deadline’ despite Man Utd pushing hard.

                    Despite looking like he was on the verge of a move to the Gunners’ north London rivals Tottenham earlier this week, Tel has decided to move elsewhere or remain at Bayern until the summer.

                    The report adds:

                    ‘Graeme Bailey – chief correspondent at TBR Football, understands that Arsenal are not out of the Tel race just yet.

                    ‘Bayern are now having second thoughts about the striker leaving the club this month, a player who is considered to have significant potential.

                    ‘As a result, a straight loan to the Premier League  without an option or obligation to buy seems to now be the preferred option for the German club – something that could suit Mikel Arteta’s side.

                    MORE ON ARSENAL FROM F365…
                    👉 Arsenal edge Man City combined XI as Raya pips Ederson and Saliba partners Gabriel
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                    ‘Arsenal couldn’t sanction another domestic loan for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson given that Neto and Raheem Sterling are already at the club.

                    ‘But Arsenal could welcome a temporary arrival like Tel from overseas, a striker who is equally adept at playing on the left-wing.

                    ‘Of course, it has to be mentioned that Manchester United are still in a strong position to take Tel to Old Trafford, a saga that promises to attract a fair bit of attention on deadline day.’

                    Harry Kane, who is a team-mate of Tel’s at Bayern Munich, has warned the Frenchman that he should make sure he plays at his next club.

                    Kane said: “Mathys is a great young player. I have worked with him for 18 months now. He has a lot of potential, works and likes to train hard.

                    “He can still improve, but he has the right mindset to do so.

                    “Whatever his next step is, the most important thing is that he plays. My advice is that wherever he goes now, he should make sure he gets playing time and experience.”

                    While Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund hinted that Tel was leaning towards staying at the Allianz Arena until the summer, he said: “The current tendency is for him to stay.

                    “We are not in concrete negotiations with any club. If anything else happens, we will talk to him. He’s 19, the situation is extreme.”

                    Match tactical analysis: United will need to deny this unlikely goalscorer to overcome Crystal Palace

                      match-tactical-analysis:-united-will-need-to-deny-this-unlikely-goalscorer-to-overcome-crystal-palace
                      Match tactical analysis: United will need to deny this unlikely goalscorer to overcome Crystal Palace

                      Manchester United will look to earn their fourth win on the trot in all competitions when they host Crystal Palace in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

                      Following a dismal attacking display against Fulham in which Man United managed to etch out a slender 1-0 win after taking just four shots in total, the team appeared far more confident on the attack in their subsequent match against FCSB.

                      Manager Ruben Amorim would have no doubt been impressed with his side’s raw goalscoring desire, taking a mammoth 21 shots against FCSB, with eight being registered as big chances.

                      What’s more, the 2-0 victory came at a crucial time, with United booking their automatic spot in the UEFA Europa League knockouts as a result.

                      In addition to being a far improved attacking display, the United defence performed admirably as well, securing back-to-back clean sheets after what felt like a clean sheet drought. In fact, you would have to go back to December 1 when United thumped Everton 4-0 to find the last time Amorim’s defence was able to hold steady throughout a full match.

                      Given these improvements in both attack and defence, United should be in prime condition to come away with a result against a struggling Palace team, who are sitting in 13th place in the Premier League table, just two points behind the 12-placed United.

                      Still, this match shouldn’t be a walkover, given Palace’s strengths in certain areas of gameplay.

                      If there’s one area where Palace have excelled this season, it’s in defence. Conceding 30 goals in 23 matches, Oliver Glasner’s side has proven resolute at the back, with only six teams in the league conceding fewer goals. In fact, Palace are tied with Manchester City and Chelsea on goals conceded.

                      In their last five matches in all competitions, Palace have conceded just three goals while keeping three clean sheets.

                      Notably, their attacking has also improved, with seven goals in those five games, including notable 2-0 away wins against both West Ham United and Leicester City. They also held their own in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea. (Transfermarkt)

                      Jean-Philippe Mateta has been one to watch for Palace, with the striker scoring both goals in the West Ham triumph. In addition to the penalty he converted, Mateta scored from outside the box with a long-range strike from a central position.

                      He also scored the opening goal in the Leicester City game a week prior, proving his goal-poaching talent yet again with a close-range strike.

                      In the Chelsea draw, it was Mateta who came to the rescue yet again, scoring from close range to equalise in the 82nd minute.

                      United’s back three will need to be on full alert when coming face-to-face with the Frenchman, who has become the visitors’ primary source of goals in recent times.

                      Still, he’s not the only one who has been posing an imminent danger in the box. Centre-back Marc Guehi has proven to be an unlikely threat in front of goal that United should not take their eye off of.

                      Guehi has scored three goals in the league this season. In the away victory over Leicester, he scored with a phenomenal left-footed volley off of a free-kick.

                      The Palace captain scored with another left-footed strike in the 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, although that time from a corner.

                      In a 2-1 loss to Everton early in the season, Guehi proved how lethal he is from corners yet again, scoring with his right foot to hand the visitors an early lead.

                      While United’s attack should make sure to continue to produce the same creative passing and dynamic use of space as they did against FCSB, the defence may face a mammoth task given the dangers that Palace pose.

                      Not only is Mateta proving a clinical finisher from close- and far-range, but Guehi is particularly dangerous from corners and free-kicks – a problem area that United have struggled to remedy this entire season.

                      Optimal focus will be required to keep Palace out as United look to get another home win on the board.

                      Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

                      Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                      A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.

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