When Jose Mourinho boldly threw on Luke Shaw and Juan Mata midway through the second-half, it was hard to tell what formation United were even playing. Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling were the only players with defined positions as Jose Mourinho’s side desperately went in search of an equaliser – and then a winner. For the second week running, from a losing position, United turned it around. Remarkable.
Last week’s win against Chelsea felt like a turning point for Romelu Lukaku as he stepped up against his former club and delivered a man of the match performance. But, his goal against Palace could prove just as important. Yes, Lukaku has a habit of scoring against the so-called lesser teams but when his side needed him, he pulled out a moment of much-needed composure with his cool equaliser. That is what great United strikers to when the chips are down.
Eight of Andros Townsend’s 14 league goals have come from outside the area and you can bet the pre-match dossier United’s players were handed last week drew attention to that and the importance of closing him down. And, yet, it did not happen. The fact a Mourinho side were then undone by a quick free-kick for Palace’s second told you all you needed to know. So much has been written about United’s patchy record against their title rivals under Mourinho, but they have problems against inferior sides fighting for their lives on the road – who predictably raise their game when United come to town.
Stoke, Huddersfield and Newcastle have all taken points off United this season, Bristol City knocked them out of the Carabao Cup and Crystal Palace pushed them close. United would hope Nemanja Matic’s remarkable winner will prove a watershed moment as they finally look to dominate these games. Like top sides should. The 4-3-3 was retained for the trip to Palace, handing Paul Pogba that freedom he so desires, and Jesse Lingard was tasked with giving United the balance they lacked of late against Palace. Mourinho then reverted back to 4-2-3-1 for the start of the second-half – hooking Scott McTominay in the process – and he needs to settle on a formation ahead of Saturday’s huge clash with free-scoring Liverpool.
The Portuguese’s decision not to attack Liverpool’s leaky defence at Anfield changed the momentum of United’s season so it will be interesting to see with what strategy he goes for in yet another season-defining fixture.
