CRYSTAL

PALACE

McArthur (66')

PREMIER LEAGUE 2016/17

Gameweek 16

1-2

14 December 2016

Selhurst Park

London, England

MANCHESTER

UNITED

Pogba (45'), Ibrahimović (88')

MANCHESTER.

Zlatan keeps delivering goals in the red shirt and tonight he saved United in the 88th minute away against Crystal Palace. Paul Pogba paid him back for Zlatan's semi-assist to 1-0 and Man Utd took another three important points.

- I tried to hit the goal and it went in. Luck or not, it went in and it gave us the three points. That moment was very important, Zlatan said after the game.

 

CAUTIOUS FIRST HALF

Henrikh Mkhitaryan got injured against Tottenham and was missing today, Mourinho put Mata and Rooney next to Zlatan. Manchester United controlled the play in the first half but the passing was quite slow. They did create a few chances but Hennessey in Crystal Palace's goal stopped United.

 

LATE GOAL BY POGBA - ASSIST BY ZLATAN

That's until the very end of the first half. Then Herrera put a freekick cross into the box, it reached Zlatan who chested it (with a touch on the hand to be fair) to Pogba, who put it in the back of the net. 1-0 to United at halftime.

 

EQUALIZER BY PALACE - YET ANOTHER DRAW?

Manchester United gave away the initiative a bit to Crystal Palace in the second and De Gea made an amazing save after fifteen minutes. And then in the 66th minute Palace set up quite a beautiful attack with a few short passes, which McArthur finished off. De Gea had no chance this time and it was 1-1.

 

ZLAAATAN!!!

It looked like it was gonna be another painful draw but then mighty Ibra did what mighty Ibra does. Pogba came running with the ball in the middle, Zlatan took a run between Palace's defenders, got the ball from Pogba and then boom, a sweet left foot shot perfect on the right post an in, 2-1. Incredibly important goal from Ibra, his eighth in the last eight games and Man Utd won the very important three points.

ZLATAN.

Started the game and played quite alright for the full 90 minutes, but didn't do too much to be fair.

 

Except for two superimportant moments that is.

 

In the first half he assisted Pogba to 1-0 by nicely chesting the ball down to the Frenchman, with a small touch on the hand to be honest. Zlatan was not given the assist though, since it also touched Palace-legs.

 

He had a total of three attempts until the very last minutes, but neither was on target. He fought hard against the Palace-defenders and wasn't worse than anybody else, but who cares? It's what happened at the end what mattered tonight.

 

In the 88th minute, when United looked like they were only gonna get another draw, he stepped up like he has done SO many times before in his career.

 

Pogba found him with a nice through ball on the left hand side within the penalty box, he looked up to see where the keeper was, and then shot with his left. The ball went perfect by the right post and in. GOAL!

 

Zlatan's eighth goal in the last eight games and his ninth Premier League-goal.

 

ATTEMPTS.

36' - Right foot shot - Blocked/Wide (1)

58' - Freekick - Wide (2)

86' - Right foot shot - Blocked (3)

88' - Left foot shot - GOAL! (4)

STARTING XI
1
GOALS
–
ASSISTS
–
CARDS
90'
MINUTES
71%
PASS COMPLETION