Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Crystal Palace4 - 0Man Utd

sportsmole.co.uk, 6 May 2024, 20:56
Crystal Palace completed their first-ever Premier League double over Manchester United in astonishing style as they decimated the woeful Red Devils 4-0 at Selhurst Park.

Following up their 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign, the Eagles were in the ascendancy right from the get-go and were two goals up at the break courtesy of Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Normal service resumed in the second period, where Olise notched his second of the night after Tyrick Mitchell had also got in on the act, moving the 14th-placed hosts onto 43 points as they end a troubled campaign with a flourish.

Oliver Glasner's men may still be seven places below Erik ten Hag's troops, but they outclassed their meek opponents in every department to leave the Red Devils below Chelsea in the final European spot on goal difference, and it is now 81 goals shipped for the permeable visitors, surpassing the 80 they let in during the 1977-78 term.

Once again sporting an incredibly youthful bench and makeshift defence, Man United were also ruing the rare absence of captain Bruno Fernandes, whose omission saw Mason Mount make a rare Premier League start.

Mateta matches Shearer feet against appalling Red Devils

The ageing backline of Jonny Evans and Casemiro immediately came under siege by the Olise and Eberechi Eze-inspired hosts, and Ten Hag's centre-backs were among the Red Devils men who failed to cover themselves in glory for a somewhat comical Palace opener in the 12th minute.

Latching onto a throw-in between the lines with no real pressure, Olise shrugged off Christian Eriksen and beat an onrushing Casemiro all ends up before charging at Evans, who just backed off and backed off against the advancing Frenchman.

With not a single Man United player prepared to put a tackle in, the Frenchman had ample time and space to pick out the bottom corner from the edge of the box, thereby registering his eighth strike of the Premier League season.

The Red Devils' response was feeble for the most part, but the ball was in the back of the Palace net in the 27th minute, when Dean Henderson would seemingly catch Casemiro's looping header, but the Eagles shot-stopper was nudged in the back by Rasmus Hojlund and the goal was chalked off.

There were shades of the David Raya vs. Bournemouth incident as Man United were controversially denied a leveller, and the visitors quickly returned to their meek ways, allowing Palace to punish them again in the 40th minute.

A calamity of errors on the right saw Palace regain possession through Chris Richards, whose through ball to Mateta ended with the Frenchman gliding past Evans as if he was not there and firing a fierce drive past Andre Onana.

Casemiro horror show continues in second half

Mateta emulated Alan Shearer with his strike, becoming the first man since the ex-Newcastle United forward in 1996-97 to score in each of his first six Premier League home games under a new manager, whose opposite number Ten Hag held off on making any half-time changes.

It was deja vu for Man United in the second period, as Casemiro had another goal ruled out for offside in the 53rd minute, and the Red Devils subsequently came under the cosh once more.

Onana managed to forestall Mitchell and Will Hughes within the space of a few seconds, but the Cameroonian was powerless to deny the former his hard-earned goal in the 58th minute, as he tapped in from unmissable range after Joachim Andersen prodded Wharton's delivery into his path.

The visitors' embarrassment went up a notch in the 68th minute, when the lackadaisical Casemiro was robbed of the ball on the byline by Daniel Munoz, who sprayed the ball to Olise just inside the box, and the winger's venomous drive flew past Onana's futile reach.

One could even argue that the 4-0 scoreline flattered Man United, who were all over the shop defensively and were fresh out of ideas in the final third too, not that they enjoyed many forays into the Palace half anyway.

Substitute Odsonne Edouard nearly made it a five-star performance from the hosts in added time, clipping the post with an effort that left Onana stranded to the spot, but Glasner's men ultimately declared at four.

The Eagles' final road fixture of the campaign takes them to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, while Man United return to face the discontent Old Trafford faithful on Sunday, hosting none other than leaders Arsenal.

Top News

22 November 2024 talksport.com Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed defender Ben White will be sidelined for months after undergoing knee surgery. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League have announced that their partnership with IMG will end after 20 years for a new media operation. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided a fresh update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City midfielder James McAtee has reportedly been the subject of an "audacious" bid from Leeds United. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams enjoying some superb form will meet at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, as Lazio and Bologna both aim to extend winning streaks in Serie A. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Erling Haaland sent out a warning shot to the Premier League as Manchester City aim to end their four match losing streak. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Enzo Maresca's King Power Stadium reunion takes place on Saturday lunchtime, as Leicester City and Chelsea prepare for battle in the Premier League's first game back after the international break. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final standings in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League groups have now been confirmed, and attention will now begin to switch to the knockout stage and playoff formats of the competition. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have suffered a defeat in their long-running legal battle with the Premier League, who have seen proposed changes to Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules approved by a majority of teams. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides battling against relegation from Ligue 1 are set to come together on Sunday afternoon when Nantes host Le Havre at Stade de la Beaujoire. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Leganes head coach Borja Jimenez will have to make two changes to his starting XI for Sunday's La Liga clash with Real Madrid. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Raul Asencio is in line to make his full debut for Real Madrid in Sunday's La Liga clash with Leganes. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Michail Antonio's professional career has had plenty of unexpected twists and turns. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea star Cole Palmer will be bidding to add to an incredible Premier League record when he lines up against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League is back and that can only mean one thing. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City are confident of agreeing a lucrative new contract with Erling Haaland after Pep Guardiola agreed to stay, talkSPORT understands. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to build on their impressive win over Osasuna before the international break when they resume their domestic campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a mixed injury update ahead of the Reds' imminent showdowns with Southampton in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The January transfer window is an opportunity for teams to fix their summer spending on the cheap, or in these cases, for free. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Kai Havertz may have transformed himself at Arsenal - but he's not on the level of his Premier League rivals. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Reece James has suggested that he is remaining upbeat over his latest hamstring injury. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Mohamed Salah is one of the world's best players and he has become one of the top five Liverpool goalscorers ever. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Phil Foden is a superstar for Manchester City, but he still opts to wear an unconventional number at his boyhood club. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The latest instalment of the Basque derby will take place at San Mames on Sunday night, with Athletic Bilbao welcoming rivals Real Sociedad for what should be a highly-charged affair. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa will be looking to extend a Premier League feat when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Having entered the international break with a run of three straight defeats, both Torino and Monza will try to stop the rot on Sunday, when they lock horns in Turin. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Third kits in the Premier League have caught the eye this season and you will certainly notice a unique difference from typical strips… 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal's Premier League home clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon is their "biggest game of the season" so far, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sevilla will attempt to bounce back from successive defeats in La Liga when they continue their campaign with a fixture against Rayo Vallecano at Estadio Ramon on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool will endeavour to maintain or increase their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table when they pit their wits against Southampton on Sunday at St Mary's.