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Goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial secured all three points for Manchester United as they beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park.
It was not as easy as the scoreline suggests. However, the Red Devils illustrated fantastic in-game management by sticking to their strengths and patiently carving open the opposition backline.
It was far from convincing in the first-half from Manchester United's point of view. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side struggled to muster anything substantial besides a couple of corners that found Harry Maguire. They looked threatening as always on the counter, but the final ball was clearly lacking. United scored just at the cusp of half-time through Marcus Rashford, who showed brilliant composure to give the Red Devils an important lead.
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They continued to launch attacks with little joy after the restart until Rashford decided to take matters in his own hands once again. The 22-year-old beat three players and fed Martial after a quick exchange with Bruno Fernandes. The Frenchman finished beautifully to cap off a truly well-worked move.
Had Jordan Ayew's goal been allowed, the entire equation would have been different. That may have had an impact on the Eagles who looked toothless upfront for the rest of the game.
Manchester United, meanwhile, moved to 62 points in the EPL table with the win. They continue to exert pressure on the likes of Chelsea and Leicester City.
On that note, we rate the Manchester United players after their gritty performance against Crystal Palace.
David De Gea - 8/10
David De Gea did extremely well to get across and make saves look easier, especially in the first-half versus Luka Milivojevic's perfectly executed free-kick. The Spaniard was also quick to come off his line and clear the ball on a few occasions. A well-earned clean sheet.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 7/10
Wan-Bissaka struggled for most parts of the game defensively, and his former teammate Wilfried Zaha worried him a lot in the first half. However, Wan-Bissaka improved as the game wore on and became a more effective outlet down the right in the latter stages of the match.
Victor Lindelof - 5/10
Lindelof had a real tough outing against Zaha and Ayew. The centre-back struggled to match their pace, eventually conceding cheap fouls in the process. He should have been better while dealing with crosses as well, having been outplayed in aerial battles quite a few times.
Harry Maguire - 7/10
Maguire was one of the many Manchester United players who experienced a much better second-half. This was barring the decision-making for the disallowed goal, where he let Ayew run behind him and slot the ball home before the goal was ruled out.
Elsewhere, Maguire's threat on corners and set-pieces was a real nuisance for Palace. In the latter stages, the skipper's aggressive approach helped him win 50-50 duels and intercept the ball.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah - 5/10
Fosu-Mensah looked extremely out of place down the left. He was solid defensively, using his pace off the ball to track back and get on the right side of players. However, the unfavourable surroundings meant that he was unable to stretch the Crystal Palace defence.
It was no surprise then that most of Manchester United's attacks came from the right and the centre of the pitch. The Red Devils certainly missed Luke Shaw.
Scott McTominay - 5/10
Scott McTominay came into the side for Nemanja Matic and it is safe to say that he was not at his best. The midfielder was harried by Palace in tight spaces and was poor in covering spaces during transitions. The lack of incision and zip in his passing while trying to progress play slowed down Manchester United's transition from back to front.
Paul Pogba - 8/10
Pogba proved to be the complete package for Manchester United. His unselfish play, one-touch passing, and switches from one end of the pitch to another offered a differential to the Red Devils every time they ventured forward. Not to mention, the Frenchman's defensive work was commendable too.
Mason Greenwood - 4/10
Greenwood was largely expected to miss this game due to the knock he suffered after Oriol Romeu's dangerous tackle in Manchester United's previous game. He started this game but was clearly not at his best. The youngster failed to find the right pass whenever Manchester United broke free and there was a clear lack of sharpness in his game.
Bruno Fernandes - 6.5/10
Pretty average game considering the high standards he has set since arriving at Manchester United.
Fernandes was unlucky to not get on the scoresheet during the second half. However, his passing was really wayward. Yes, Fernandes played a huge role in Martial's goal and timed his deliveries well, but he was wasteful in possession a number of times.
Marcus Rashford - 8.5/10
Rashford worked his socks off upfront. The 22-year-old was overlapping and making runs into the box, combining with Martial on the edge of the 18-yard box, and trying to wriggle through a congested Palace defence repeatedly. He overran the ball a few times, while some of his passes were overcooked.
However, he was there with all the composure in the world to put the ball into the back of the net and break the deadlock just before half-time. His work for Martial's goal with the ball from midfield was spectacular too.
Anthony Martial - 9/10
Martial was clearly Manchester United's best frontman. Right from the outset, his intelligence, awareness to see what's around him, and sensational dribbling pushed the Eagles further back.
He looked lively throughout the match and capped off his all-round display with an accurate finish. The goal symbolised how dependable he's been in front of goal after being deployed as a lone striker.
Substitutes
Jesse Lingard - 5/10
Drafted in for Greenwood just after the hour mark, Lingard was more sideways than forward with his passing and dribbling. Nevertheless, a safe display when Manchester United had complete control of the game.
Nemanja Matic - 6.5/10
Brought about a sense of assurance after coming on. Matic kept things ticking over, fizzed passes into wider areas, and screened the defensive line well.
