JOSE MOURINHO ADMITTED Manchester United rode their luck as Nemanja Matic’s late thunderbolt capped a dramatic 3-2 win at Crystal Palace on Monday.
Mourinho’s side trailed to Andros Townsend’s early opener and Patrick van Aanholt’s second half effort at Selhurst Park.
But Chris Smalling got one back for United and Romelu Lukaku equalised with 14 minutes remaining.
That set the stage for Serbia midfielder Matic to score for the first time since his move from Chelsea last year with a blistering blast from the edge of the area in stoppage-time.
It was an escape act that seemed unlikely when United fell 2-0 behind after being out-fought and out-played by a Palace team fighting gamely to avoid relegation.
But Mourinho took heart from the way his players shrugged off their limp opening to move back above Liverpool into second place in the Premier League and within 16 points of runaway leaders Manchester City.
“You always need that little bit of luck to win a match in the last few minutes,” Mourinho said.
“We played very good quality football in the second half but we made so many defensive mistakes.
“That disgraceful, childish second goal changed everything. But the players kept an amazing attitude.
I cannot tell you half of the things I told my team at half-time because there would be lots of bleeping on television.
“To come back from 2-0 away from home against a team that is desperate for points, it gives us a great feeling.”
Third bottom Palace deserved better, but they remain one point from safety after a heartbreaking loss.
United paid the price for their lethargic start in the 11th minute.
Christian Benteke was allowed to jink into the United penalty area unchecked by Smalling and when his pass picked out Townsend 18 yards from goal, the Palace winger unleashed a shot that took a wicked deflection off Lindelof as it looped past David De Gea.
With Matic and Paul Pogba rattled by Palace’s relentless pressing, United were unable to match their opponents’ intensity.
The out of form Pogba, dropped several times by Mourinho recently, was a major cause of the visitors’ woes as the France midfielder wasted possession and was caught out of position time and again.
- Stole the points -
He was playing so badly that United legend Gary Neville, working for Sky Sports, was moved to say: “It’s like everything he does is like a YouTube or Instagram video.
It’s like it’s not serious, it’s like a joke to him in terms of the way he goes about things.”
Mourinho kept faith with Pogba, instead sending on Marcus Rashford for Scott McTominay at half-time.
But just three minutes after the interval, United were caught cold again.
When Palace won a free-kick, Jeffrey Schlupp alertly took it quickly, sending van Aanholt scampering clear on goal.
United appealed in vain for offside but the flag stayed down and van Aanholt held his nerve to slot past De Gea for his first goal since May 2017.
Mourinho was raging on the touchline, but Smalling gave United a lifeline in the 55th minute.
The England defender had missed a good chance moments earlier, but he made amends with a clinical header from Antonio Valencia’s cross.
That completely changed the momentum and even Pogba sparked into life as his curler was pushed away by Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey.
Matic almost equalised with a thunderous strike that Benteke cleared off the line and United’s pressure was rewarded in the 76th minute.
Alexis Sanchez’s shot deflected off James Tomkins and ran to Lukaku, who worked himself into position to fire low past Hennessey.
United were relieved, but it took a brilliant one-handed save from De Gea, diving to his right to keep out Benteke’s header, to ensure their comeback wasn’t in vain.
The drama wasn’t over and in stoppage-time Matic stole the points for United, seizing the loose ball on the edge of the Palace area and cracking his strike into top corner to spark wild celebrations from the visitors.
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This guy is completely overratted
@jay bernard: don’t know how he warrants a contract of that size given his achievements in the game. He needs to start scoring regularly especially if the Wissam Ben Yedder rumours are true. WBY is a real fox in the box, Deschamps really rates him.
Best goal tally for 21 and under in the EPL, La Liga & Seria A in what was a shocking season under two different managers. 200k going to 300k based on incentives. Manchester born and bred. He’ll turn out to be some player yet
An absolute joke.
It’s 200k a week max as per Simon Stone – reliable United journo
@Brian: and you think that even £200,000 is acceptable for a player that scored 10 league goals last season. He’s English!!! He has been overhyped and overrated since they Day he broke into the first team by the British press, £200,000 per week for a very average player that would be more suited to playing for a team like Newcastle, Everton or Southampton. Mid table player at best, that shouldn’t be earning anything over 100,000 never mind 200,000 or 300,000.
@Devilsavocado: And eventually he will be destroyed by the British press too, I wish Utd would sell him on now
Beans Beans Beans
@Alan Brazil: is all you eat. Stand well back!
The club is a circus. Run by clowns who aren’t football men
@munsterman: and if you look at the nonsense that ich bin Brendan has been scribbling up there, it seems they are supported by a few clowns as well…..
@Devilsavocado: haha! G!mp
@Ich bin brendan: come on,, seriously mate, you really don’t believe the nonsense that you were writing in your previous posts do you?? There isn’t a club that finished in the top 5 above Utd that the lad would get into as a first team player. Not a single club that will be in the champions league next year had a bit of interest in buying him, he’s at best a bench player for Utd, but a 200,000 a week bench player??? WTF is going on at Utd that they offered that much money to him?? Where else was he going to go, they easily could have halved that and even then he should still consider himself lucky to be wearing the Utd jersey,, come on, I can’t be the only one who sees this….
@Devilsavocado: quit looking for validation. I’ll correct myself in that he didn’t score v pool in their 3-1 spanking but everything stated is fact inc. turning the best rb inside out and scoring in every debut. Barcelona were being touted as making an official approach, how much of that is being true is as truthful to say not a single team were, it would take a team of that stature to pull a local lad away from his local team. Apart from Kane for Spurs there isn’t a top 5 team that would produce an academy player like him. 200,000K is daft money but that’s the state of the club atm, not many want the Glazers there but that’s what they’re working with. I’m delighted he’s there for another 4 yrs, he’s got the wage now it’s upto him to start earning it, I believe he will.
@Ich bin brendan: ok fair enough, you have your opinion on the matter and people that actually know a bit about football have there’s. Let’s be honest here, I doesn’t matter that your opinion is obviously that of a delusional fan that can’t look at things without your fan glasses on but that’s ok,, we will leave it there and I’ll let you get back to your colouring book and crayons, there’s a good boy,, don’t stay up to late… :) validate myself, ha ha ha ha ha..
@Devilsavocado: “that actually know a bit about football” you have me stumped, you’ve trouble validating your opinionated drivel. “Ha ha ha” like I said before, G!mp
He’s got to start delivering on his promise . A lot of cash for a man still not scoring regularly but he does have the potential to be an absolute world class player I just hope he does start getting 30 odd goals a season .
On his debut he’s scored 2 in the EPL, same in his Europa, 1 Champions league and on his derby debut. Also turned the best rb in the country inside out to score against their biggest rivals, with the golden glove winner in goal!
@Ich bin brendan: can throw in his debut in the EFL & FA Cup as well. So every cup comp available to him. Calling him over rated is being bias, he’s proven he’s capable, needs consistency with age.
Reminds me of Ian Rush
His nose is offside
Even as a man utd fan, I think he doesn’t deserve this, prove your worth then get the money, he didn’t prove anything last season to deserve half this money.