Stunning United comeback sinks Palace

Heading into the fixture, United were eyeing up three points to leapfrog Liverpool and restore second. The Eagles, however, were in desperate need of a crucial win in their battle for survival.

After a sloppy start from the Red Devils, Andros Townsend punished Mourinho’s side in the 11th minute. His strike took a wicked deflection off Victor Lindelof and floated past David De Gea who stood wrong-footed between the sticks. They say you shouldn’t turn your back on a shot, and Lidelof learnt it the hard way. A historic goal for Palace as they led United for the first time ever in a Premier League match.

The Eagles remained unyielding in the first period, keeping a rigid shape at the back and leaving no gaps for United to exploit. They were fighting like a side who wanted to stay up, and it was working.

- Second half extravaganza -

United may have physically been on the pitch in the second half, but their concentration was elsewhere. A quick free-kick undid their backline and Patrick Van Aanholt went charging through on goal. The left-back composed himself and lashed the ball into the top left corner to produce a thumping finish that put his side further into unchartered territory against United. 2-0 and the Eagles were soaring.

Unfortunately for Roy Hodgson, the two goal cushion didn’t last long. A little over five minutes later United pulled one back. As Antonio Valencia clipped the ball over the Palace back four, Chris Smalling beat the offside trap and coolly nodded past Wayne Hennessey. A lifeline for United who, for the first time in the game, showed a glimpse of desire.

Palace pushed on for a third but left themselves vulnerable for the visitors to pounce. When Sanchez’s effort spun off the bar, it fell kindly to Lukaku who blasted the ball into the back of the net to draw the sides level in the 76th minute. De Gea was then immediately called into action but pulled off a sensational theatrical save to claw a Benteke header off the line.

The game took a tense turn and the style of play got increasingly panicked. In the last ten minutes, the two sides staged a dramatic end-to-end spectacle with a thrilling climax.

- Matic deals the final blow -

Both managers looked  content to leave Selhurst Park with a point, but Nemanja Matic had other ideas. When the ball fell to the Serbian on the edge of the box, he took one touch to steady himself before hammering a swerving strike past a helpless Hennessey - a perfectly executed half-volley that almost burst the Palace net.

After trailing by two goals, Mourinho’s men had pulled off a stunning second half comeback to go 18 games unbeaten against Palace. At one point, the journey back to Manchester was looking to be a sour one, but now the coach will be bouncing. 3-2 to United.