Crystal Palace inflicted another humiliating defeat on Manchester United on Monday, running out 4-0 victors at Selhurst Park in a result which will only intensify the pressure on Erik ten Hag.
Michael Olise tore United apart from the first whistle, waltzing through their non-existent midfield to score the opener before the in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta did likewise for Palace’s second goal before half-time.
Playing out of position at centre-back, Casemiro endured a nightmare performance and had two goals disallowed as well as being at fault for at least two of Palace’s strikes at the other end.
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Tyrick Mitchell got Palace’s third just before the hour mark, then Olise thundered home a fourth as Oliver Glasner’s men maintained their excellent form, recording a fourth win in their last five Premier League games.
United, meanwhile, have only won one of their last seven and are rooted in eighth, looking likely to miss out on European qualification entirely in Ten Hag’s second season in charge.
It’s FOUR!
Casemiro is easily dispossessed at the byline by Daniel Munoz, it’s then squared to Michael Olise, who curls a scrumptious effort past Andre Onana from the edge of the area 🤩#CRYMUN pic.twitter.com/mbgBpahp4H
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 6, 2024
Palace needed just 12 minutes to take the lead, and it was all too easy for Olise as he received the ball in acres of space before gliding past Casemiro and caressing his finish into the bottom-right corner.
Things almost got worse for the visitors soon afterwards, but Mateta inadvertently blocked Olise’s shot after the midfield livewire was picked out by Mitchell inside the area.
United thought they had levelled when Casemiro’s back-post header looped in with Dean Henderson grounded after a collision with Rasmus Hojlund, but the Dane was penalised for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Don’t give him that much room…#CPFC | #CRYMUN pic.twitter.com/oTr0vOioGr
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 6, 2024
Olise just failed to round Andre Onana for a second, but Palace’s lead was doubled just before half-time, Mateta skipping past Jonny Evans as if he wasn’t there before blasting home on his left foot.
Casemiro was again denied by the officials shortly after the interval, heading Christian Eriksen’s free-kick against the upright then converting on the rebound, only to see the offside flag correctly raised.
With 58 minutes played, the game was over as a contest as the impressive Adam Wharton found Joachim Andersen with a fine ball to the back post. The centre-back outmuscled Diogo Dalot to knock it down, and Mitchell was on hand to apply the finish.
It was 4-0 nine minutes later as another Casemiro mistake was ruthlessly punished. He was eased out of it by Daniel Munoz on the byline, the right back teeing up Olise to strike a rocket of a shot into the top-right corner from the edge of the box.
Olise again, 4-0.#MUFC || #CRYMUN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 6, 2024
United avoided further punishment despite some more calamitous defending in the closing stages, with only the woodwork denying Palace a fifth in stoppage time as Odsonne Edouard crashed a shot against the post with Onana beaten.
That will be scant consolation for Ten Hag, however, as a terrible season for the Red Devils lurches from bad to worse.