Zirkzee and Mount seal comeback as Man Utd break Selhurst Park curse

For the first time since January 2023, Manchester United finally scored — and won — at Selhurst Park, battling from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in what may prove a pivotal night in Ruben Amorim’s early tenure. United, who hadn’t left this ground with three points since July 2020, looked destined for another frustrating outing when Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a twice-taken penalty after a disrupted first half dominated by Palace. Yet the story flipped completely after the break, with Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount producing the moments United had been starved of in recent weeks.

The atmosphere carried its own symbolism. United supporters cheekily sang about Eric Cantona — whose infamous karate kick occurred here almost 30 years ago — as if reminding everyone that Selhurst Park has always been a theatre for drama. On this occasion, the script belonged to Amorim’s side, who snapped a run of three games without a win and climbed back into the Premier League’s top six.

Palace, meanwhile, missed the chance to gatecrash the top four and saw their 12-match unbeaten home run come to an abrupt end. For a club fighting for European spots, this one will sting — especially after controlling the first half with authority.

Joshua Zirkzee has experienced the full emotional spectrum of Manchester United life — from public criticism to falling out of the Dutch national team picture due to limited minutes. After struggling badly against 10-man Everton last week, most supporters assumed Amorim would withdraw him at half-time again.

Instead, the Portuguese coach doubled down. And within nine minutes of the restart, Zirkzee vindicated the decision.

The striker picked up the ball at a difficult angle before unleashing a vicious, swerving strike across Dean Henderson and into the far corner. It was his first Premier League goal in almost exactly a year, an overdue payoff for Amorim’s patience.

The celebration spoke volumes: relief, defiance, and maybe the quiet realisation he still has a future at Old Trafford.

Just minutes after Zirkzee’s equaliser, United produced the game’s smartest moment. With Palace expecting a routine shot from a free-kick on the edge of the area, Bruno Fernandes nudged a disguised short pass into Mason Mount’s path.

The midfielder drilled low into the far corner — Henderson rooted — and suddenly United were leading at a ground where scoring once had become a novelty.

From there, game management took over. Palace, fatigued from a European away trip fewer than 72 hours earlier, ran out of steam. United, much criticised for failing to close out games this season, handled the pressure impressively.

Mateta’s opener arrived via the Premier League’s new penalty retake rule — used for the first time this season. The Frenchman initially scored after touching the ball twice in the same motion, which is now automatically punished with a retake.

VAR alerted referee Rob Jones. Confusion spread across Selhurst Park. United’s players complained. The away fans celebrated. Then groaned.
And then Mateta scored again anyway — in the opposite corner.

It was a rare footnote of history in a match defined by United’s second-half shift rather than refereeing controversy.

Having followed Amorim closely, this felt like the most “Amorim” win of his tenure — resilience, structured aggression, and decisive finishing. The decision to keep Zirkzee on after a poor first half was a managerial gamble rooted in human awareness, not tactics. In our view, that trust may now transform the player’s trajectory at the club.

Although some argue Zirkzee still lacks the killer instinct to be United’s long-term No.9, it’s worth noting that stylistically he suits Amorim’s game model better than a pure penalty-box striker. His ability to drop, combine, and drag defenders creates space for Fernandes, Mount, and Mbeumo. The question is consistency, not compatibility.

From my own experience covering young forwards in transitional squads, the turning point often comes from a single moment of decisiveness. Zirkzee’s strike — powerful, instinctive, assertive — is exactly the type of moment that shifts internal perception.

Crystal Palace travel to Burnley on Wednesday (19:30 GMT) aiming to bounce back immediately.
Manchester United host West Ham on Thursday (20:00 GMT) as they look to consolidate their position in the top six.

👉 Do you think Zirkzee’s goal truly changes his Manchester United future — or is it just a brief spark?