Crystal Palace
Tension on the Pitch: Palace and Forest Draw at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park: a tense draw as on-field football replaced the summer legal battle between rivals….
Selhurst Park hosted a match that felt like a sequel to a summer off-field dispute. The Eagles looked to get their own back after Forest’s complaint saw them relegated from the Europa League, and the fixture was billed as El CASico, as they’re calling it.
Security was increased, with a visible Met Police presence and heightened player protection. Behind one goal Palace supporters displayed a graphic banner depicting the Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and repeatedly chanted “F*** UEFA, F*** John Textor, F*** Marinakis”. Supporters of Europa League Forest were seated quietly at the other end and largely said little, apart from the occasional remark that Marinakis is “one of own”. Marinakis did not remain in view in the director’s box; cameras instead found England manager Thomas Tuchel among the stands.
The match itself was competitive and, at times, unrefined. Sarr brought a moment of relief for Palace when he swept home from Daniel Munoz’s cut-back to score Palace’s first home league goal of the campaign. The goal provided the clearest example of Palace’s attacking quality during a game in which neither side moved freely through the lines.
Both clubs arrived under pressure. Palace had opened their Conference League campaign with a nervy 1-0 play-off win at home to Fredrikstad on Thursday, the club’s first match in Europe in its long history. Eberechi Eze did not play that night and is now an Arsenal player, a departure that represents a £67.5million loss for Palace. For Forest, confidence from a win over Brentford was tempered by Nuno Espirito Santo’s admission in a press conference that he and Evangelos Marinakis do not speak as they used to, leaving Nuno’s position under threat as Forest prepare for European football.
Glasner’s selection decisions underlined Palace’s thin resources. Justin Devenny started and academy players Kaden Rodney and Rio Cardines were named, while Forest’s bench included Douglas Luiz, Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee. Nuno’s first substitutions removed Ndoye and Hudson-Odoi, the pair who had combined for Forest’s second-half equaliser.
By the final whistle the legal drama had faded into the background and the match finished as a draw, a fair result on the day. That’s not to say Palace have forgotten about the summer they were relegated without playing a game.
Chelsea
Three Standouts from Gameweek 29: Palmer, Wharton and Garner
Gameweek 29 standouts Cole Palmer, Adam Wharton and James Garner impressed in Premier League action.
Shock results dominated the midweek slate, none more notable than Wolverhampton Wanderers’s last-gasp win over Liverpool. The round was less chaotic than the weekend, but several individual displays caught the eye of statisticians at FotMob.
Cole Palmer (Rating: 8.6) was central to Chelsea’s response in the Midlands. Chelsea had looked likely to suffer a fourth Premier League match without victory after conceding early at Aston Villa, but they recovered to secure a 4–1 win and capitalise on slips from Liverpool and Man Utd in the race for Champions League qualification. As he’s so often been at Chelsea’s best, Cole Palmer was integral to an important win in the Midlands. The attacking midfielder returned to the scoresheet as he rattled beyond Emi Martínez for his side’s third of the evening, a rare non-penalty goal these days, and his general play laid the foundations for an impressive attacking display.
Adam Wharton (Rating: 8.6) returned to form for Crystal Palace as the Eagles recorded a significant 3–1 away victory at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Wharton offered a composed head amid a frenetic end to the first half, supplying two assists to complete Palace’s quick-fire comeback. The first was a simple pass to Jørgen Strand Larsen but the second was a sumptuous through ball poked home by two-goal Ismaïla Sarr.
James Garner (Rating: 8.7) continued a quietly excellent season in Everton’s midfield during their 2–0 win over Burnley. Garner’s set-piece quality provided the opening goal; a teasing free kick delivery to the far post led to James Tarkowski’s opener. He finished the game with more touches than anybody else on the pitch and a match-high 13 defensive contributions, underscoring how influential he has been in Everton’s engine room this campaign.
These three performances were among the brightest in Gameweek 29, each combining tangible statistical impact with decisive moments that helped their teams on the night.
Crystal Palace
United grind out 2-1 win over Palace after Lacroix red card and Fernandes penalty
United recovered after an early Lacroix goal; red card, Fernandes penalty and Šeško winner. Top three
Manchester United recovered from an early setback to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday and move up to third in the Premier League table. Maxence Lacroix opened the scoring in the third minute, but his later dismissal turned the game. Lacroix was sent off 10 minutes into the second half for tugging back Matheus Cunha in a goalscoring position, and United levelled from the penalty spot.
Bruno Fernandes stepped up and converted the spot kick against Dean Henderson. He then created the decisive goal, delivering a right-sided cross with the velocity required for Benjamin Šeško to steer a header beyond Henderson and secure all three points. Šeško had been quiet for much of the opening hour but produced a finishing touch that continued an excellent run. It was his sixth in his last seven games, and his fourth on the bounce.
The match exposed several issues for the hosts. United were slow to react to Lacroix’s early strike and produced a drab, imbalanced first half that invited comparison to Ruben Amorim’s turgid tenure. Palace, having played in Conference League action on Thursday, showed more clarity, conviction and energy in the opening 45 minutes while United benefited from an extra week without midweek fixtures.
Carrick’s side have now added points in less glamorous fashion after earlier statement wins at the start of his tenure. In the previous two outings Šeško had salvaged a point with a stoppage-time finish at West Ham United and decided an ugly contest with Everton by rounding off a rapid counter-attack. Those finishes, and Sunday’s recovery, have helped perpetuate the momentum under Carrick.
Luke Shaw, who had started poorly, was forced off midway through the first half after a collision with Daniel Muñoz. Carrick brought on the right-footed Noussair Mazraoui, a change that left United light on left-sided width. Amad Diallo was sacrificed to accommodate Šeško, and Bryan Mbeumo shifted to the right for Palace. The result will please United’s hierarchy as points were taken, but the performance highlighted areas that still require attention.
Crystal Palace
United recover to beat Palace as Fernandes penalty and Šeško header decide 2-1
Bruno Fernandes spot kick and Šeško header turned a nervy game into a 2-1 United victory. and belief
Manchester United overturned an early deficit to beat 10-man Crystal Palace 2-1 and move into third place in the Premier League table for the first time since 2023. The match swung on two decisive moments: Lacroix conceded a penalty and was sent off for pulling Matheus Cunha in the area, and Bruno Fernandes converted the spot kick to level the scores.
Bruno Fernandes remained the principal creative force throughout a sterile first half, producing the penalty and then delivering the cross that Benjamin Šeško met shortly after the hour mark. Šeško’s header was his seventh goal of the calendar year and extended his rich vein of form; four goals in his last five matches now. The Slovenian had earlier missed a similar chance but made no mistake at the second opportunity.
United’s control over the remainder of the game was helped by Lacroix’s dismissal. The win lifts Michael Carrick’s side above Aston Villa on goal difference.
Palace had taken the lead from a set piece, with Leny Yoro losing his marker and allowing Lacroix an unmarked header. That opening goal exposed the absence of Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez and made the fixture more difficult for United early on. Luke Shaw was withdrawn with an injury midway through the first half.
Individual notes
GK: Senne Lammens—6.7: Seldom tested but stood up to the challenge when occasionally forced into action. Helpless to rebuff Lacroix’s effort.
RB: Diogo Dalot—7.5: Alarmingly sloppy in possession early but found life easier against tiring opposition.
CB: Leny Yoro—6.8: Dismal man-to-man defending allowed Lacroix to open the scoring.
CB: Harry Maguire—7.4: Competed well against Jørgen Strand Larsen.
LB: Luke Shaw—6.0: Started but was withdrawn due to injury.
DM: Casemiro—8.2: Effective from set pieces and combative.
DM: Kobbie Mainoo—7.6: Prioritised simple passes and stability.
RW: Bryan Mbeumo—7.2: Energetic but unable to influence the final outcome.
AM: Bruno Fernandes—9.2: A goal and an assist; his leadership was decisive.
LW: Matheus Cunha—7.2: Won the penalty that changed the game.
ST: Benjamin Šeško—7.9: Recalled and delivered with a composed header.
Subs: Noussair Mazraoui 7.2, Amad Diallo 6.8, Ayden Heaven N/A, Joshua Zirkzee N/A. Subs not used: Altay Bayındır, Tyrell Malacia, Jack Moorhouse, Manuel Ugarte, Tyler Fletcher.
Key match statistics: Possession 61%–39%, xG 2.12–0.38, Shots 20–8, Shots on target 11–3, Big chances 3–0, Passing accuracy 86%–76%, Fouls 13–12.
