Man United 0-2 Crystal Palace: Jean-Philippe Mateta punishes wasteful Red Devils in record-equalling Old Trafford loss | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim must be questioning whether he will ever achieve consecutive Premier League wins as Manchester United manager.

Following last weekend’s dramatic victory at Craven Cottage, today’s match against Crystal Palace presented another opportunity to secure back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time under his leadership.

However, old habits resurfaced, and the Red Devils suffered another home defeat, with Oliver Glasner’s men running out 2-0 victors at Old Trafford this afternoon.

Since the beginning of last season, United have struggled at home, recording 13 such Premier League losses—more than all teams except for Wolves, who have lost 16. This season, they’ve already lost seven of their first 13 home league matches, which is the highest number of home defeats at this stage of a league campaign, equaling their record from the 1893-94 season.

Jean-Philippe Mateta bagged a brace — no player has scored more Premier League goals in 2025 than his six which is level with Chris Wood and Phil Foden — as United’s wastefulness in front of goal was again laid bare for all to see. While it hasn’t all occurred under his management, Roy Keane highlighted a key issue soon after Amorim’s appointment: “The same players and the same problems.” The most significant of these problems, he noted, is a “lack of goals and a lack of quality” in the attacking third.

Here’s a concerning statistic: United have failed to score in the first half of 18 out of their 24 Premier League games this season—more than any other team. The last team to have a higher percentage of first-half scoreless games than United this season (75%) was Norwich City in the 2021-22 season, which had a ratio of 76% (29 out of 38 games).

United’s total of 28 goals from 24 games puts them 15th this season, level with Palace and below Wolves.

When they have managed to create scoring opportunities, poor finishing has often been their downfall. Out of 320 shots taken, which is the tenth-highest in the division, United’s 28 goals reflect a conversion rate of just 8.75 percent. Only two teams, Crystal Palace and Southampton, have a lower conversion rate this season.

Struggling both to create chances and to finish them, United’s situation presents a significant challenge for Amorim, who admitted so much so last time out: “But it is what it is. We need to have ball creators, more chances. We struggle a lot in these details. But winning helps a lot to improve.”

As mentioned earlier, United’s struggles go beyond Amorim’s appointment. This marks the ninth time they have failed to score in a Premier League game this campaign. Only Everton (12) and Southampton (10) have not scored more frequently in England’s top division this season.

It’s important to highlight that United’s finishing problems extend beyond mere bad luck; they represent a significant issue. Erik ten Hag struggled to address this, and now Amorim is facing similar challenges. Notably, Leicester City, Everton, Ipswich, and Southampton—who occupy four of the bottom five spots—have all scored fewer goals in the Premier League than United’s total of 28 this season.

The Red Devils have underperformed compared to their expected goals (xG), with a differential of -6.35. Their xG stands at 34.35, which is the worst in the 2024-25 season.

While expected goals (xG) is not the sole measure of a team’s performance, it does highlight some concerning trends. Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, Ten Hag’s Manchester United has averaged 1.45 goals per game in the Premier League. This figure shows only a slight improvement over the 1.38 goals per game recorded by Ralf Rangnick’s United team. Amorim’s squad is currently averaging just 1.23 goals per game.

The underlying issue appears to be a lack of composure in the final third and imprecision at crucial moments. Although there have been glimpses of potential—Manchester United has scored more than once in four matches under their Portuguese coach—this inconsistency makes it difficult to suggest any real progress.

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