Manchester United’s Woes Continue as Crystal Palace Secure Victory
Manchester United’s woes in the Premier League persist as Joachim Andersen’s decisive goal handed Crystal Palace all three points at Old Trafford last Saturday.
Mason Mount openly acknowledged that Manchester United is in dire need of self-reflection and swift improvement following yet another Premier League defeat.
Saturday’s loss to Crystal Palace has plunged United into crisis mode once again, with Mount lamenting a missed opportunity to level the score. The pressure is mounting on Erik ten Hag’s side, and this season marks United’s worst start to a campaign after seven games since the inception of the Premier League.
Mount stated, “We have a strong desire to win these games, and we recognize the necessity of doing so. It’s been a challenging start. When you fall behind 1-0, it becomes an uphill battle. We had a few chances, but they weren’t enough.”
He continued, “We understand that we must assess the areas where improvement is needed. We must enhance our performance because we are determined to secure victories.”
“In every competition we participate in, we aim to reach the very end. It’s a tough pill to swallow. There are aspects we need to scrutinize, but it’s a frustrating outcome.”
Reflecting on a missed header opportunity in the second half, Mount admitted, “I attempted to direct it with my head, but it struck my shoulder instead. If I had scored that, we would have been back in contention, pursuing the winning goal. It comes down to fine margins, and things aren’t quite going our way at the moment.”
Mount emphasized, “Losing games, especially at home with our fans in attendance, is not what we desire. We want to deliver performances and victories for them. We must analyze the areas that didn’t click today.”
Match-winner Joachim Andersen highlighted Crystal Palace’s determination to prove a point after their previous defeat to United in the Carabao Cup. Palace avenged their 3-0 loss at Old Trafford with Andersen’s brilliantly executed first-half goal, securing a well-deserved victory and three points.
Andersen, named Man of the Match, not only delivered a stunning goal but also displayed unwavering resolve in Palace’s defense. He praised the relentless desire and team spirit under Roy Hodgson’s leadership.
“It’s an incredible feeling to win at Old Trafford,” Andersen said. “It’s never easy coming here, especially after our match on Tuesday. We had something to prove.”
He continued, “The way we fought, stuck together, and played with immense desire and readiness to endure challenges—it might not have been our best possession game, but sometimes you need to fight and support one another. Our pressing was truly exceptional, a focal point we discussed and had to improve upon.”
“On Tuesday, we sat too deep, giving them too much time on the ball. This time, I believe we succeeded quite well. It’s about our consistency, both with and without the ball. We kept them fairly subdued; I can’t recall them having many scoring opportunities.”
“We performed admirably, and that’s credit to the entire team. It’s about the midfielders and forwards applying effective pressure on the ball, preventing United from executing quality passes.”