LONDON — It was looking less likely at halftime crystal Palace He too Manchester United Manager Ruben Amorim or Striker joshua zirczy Will leave Selhurst Park with no credits.
Lost by one goal due to retake Jean-Philippe Mateta After conceding a penalty (after accidentally touching the ball twice on the first kick), Amorim suffered a second significant setback in a week following an embarrassing 1–0 home defeat to 10-men. everton On Monday. Meanwhile, Zirkzee failed to get a meaningful touch during an unknown first 45 minutes, let alone a shot to trouble the Palace goalkeeper. dean henderson,
Again, it is to their credit that the duo traveled from South London to Manchester on Sunday and not only kept their reputation intact but also enhanced it.
It was Amorim’s tactical switch at the break – getting underway Brian Mbeumo Higher and more central – which allowed United to gain a foothold in a game which Palace had until then dominated. United’s players were also more “intense” later on, according to Amorim.
This gave Zirkzee the opportunity to equalize – his first. Premier League Target for 364 days – first with clinical closure from an acute angle mason mount After some time the score became 2-1.
During the intermission the funeral rites for Amorim and Zirkzee were being written. But after the final whistle both stood up with a valuable victory in front of 3,000 cheering traveling fans.
“I just told the players that we need to be more lively and you can feel it,” Amorim said afterward. “So if you’re more lively, you’re in more places, you’re near the ball more often. I think everybody’s done that.
“But we also need to understand that the opponent was tired in the second half as well. And when you increase the tempo and the opponent gets a little tired, immediately conceding a goal, then you feel that we have control of the game and that’s it.”
If nothing else, United’s first win at Selhurst Park since 2020 will quell the noise about Amorim’s suitability for the job that grew again after the Everton defeat.
Zirkzee’s future is also a matter of much debate. Netherlands His lack of game time at international level this season has led to speculation that he may consider leaving Old Trafford in January in an attempt to regain a place in the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
He made his first league start of the season against Everton and might have lost his place against Palace mattheus cunha Got fit. And there was also an argument that he should have been replaced at halftime as he offered nothing against Palace’s last three players Mark Guehi, chris richards And Maxence Lacroix – He was probably still on the pitch due to Cunha’s lack of options on the bench due to injuries. benjamin sesco,
Either way, Zirkzee made the most of his reprieve and played down Bruno Fernandes’ clever free kick early in the second half and curled his finish past Henderson and inside the far post from the narrowest of angles. This was a timely intervention, both for Amorim and for him.
It was Zirkzej’s first league goal since December 2024 and United’s first league goal against Palace since February 2023. Bayern Munich And bologna The forward looked like a different player after the break.
“It wasn’t just the goals, even the runs at the back,” Amorim said of Zirkzee’s second-half performance. “In the first half he struggled in duels, and in the second half he won some duels. We improved a lot because of Josh’s quality in the second half. It’s important for them to understand. It’s not just the goals. We play better because Josh played better in the second half.”
Amorim was heavily criticized for his management in the game against Everton, but he played his part against Palace. He moved Mbeumo to a more central position closer to Zirkzee, and a disintegrated United team suddenly began to look more cohesive. Both goals came from set pieces, but United were the better team after the break.
“We felt like we needed to do something to change the way we were playing,” Amorim said. “And it definitely was. We tried to change little things in the game. But the intensity and quality of the way we connected, especially the passion in our connections, was better and that improves the way we play a lot.”
Oliver Glasner also cited fatigue as a reason for the change in the second half. For Palace, it was another game without a win after Thursday night uefa conference league tie; While United had five days to prepare, Glaser had just 48 hours after the 2–1 defeat strasburg,
Subsequently, he could not hide his frustration at conceding goals twice from set pieces, but also the lack of depth in the team, which he believes should have been addressed in the summer.
During a strong post-match press conference, Glaser accused the club’s board of playing “safe”.
“It gets really disappointing to concede two goals in a scheduled game,” he said. “We played very well in the first half and deserved to take the lead. I don’t remember any big chances of free play throughout the game. The energy level dropped but we made it difficult for ourselves by conceding these two goals.
“They looked a bit tired. It was our 22nd game of the season and Man United’s 14th game. We are dealing with it. It’s no fault of the players because they are leaving their hearts on the pitch.”
Both Glasner and Amorim may push for more changes in the January transfer window, knowing that a midseason boost could make all the difference in an overcrowded table.
Amorim is fond of saying how quickly things can change in the Premier League and for a change it was the opposition manager rather than the Portuguese coach who looked more frustrated during post-match media duties.
At half-time the situation seemed to be quite the opposite and the two halves could hardly have been more different. The win over Palace – only United’s second league win away from home since March – gives both Amorim and Zirkzee more playing time.
