Focused Fred

The game’s only goal was scored by its best player. Fred has been a scapegoat for many of United’s ills but, against Palace, the Brazilian resembled the midfielder who routinely impresses for his country to cap a successful week after an enterprising showing against Arsenal and his popularity among the group was reflected in the way he was mobbed by team-mates after scoring. 

“He’s the underdog, everybody can criticise him but he keeps his head clean and gives it everything,” Dalot said. His confidence was so high that, by the end, he was doing back heels and pinging around brisk first time passes.

 Both Fred and McTominay were guilty of turning over the ball with careless square passes in the first half, and Rangnick made a point of highlighting his dislike for such risky balls. But, in the main, Fred embodied United’s first half intensity and industry, winning back possession quickly and circulating the ball cleanly and effectively. 

“I had to ask my assistant coach if that was Fred’s right foot – I thought he could only shoot with his left!” Rangnick joked. “I’m happy for him.”

Defensive platform, higher line

This was United’s first clean sheet at Old Trafford in any competition for 235 days, and the first in the league at home since a 1-0 victory over West Ham on March 14. 

Rangnick had made it clear beforehand that he wanted his players to “try and keep away from their own goal” and they achieved that in the main, even if they were fortunate Jordan Ayew missed a golden opportunity two minutes before Fred scored after United’s vulnerability defending set-pieces was again exposed. 

United have played so deep this season that at times it has felt like Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were sat on David De Gea but Rangnick played a higher defensive line and Lindelof, in particular, enjoyed the chance to push into midfield in the first half.