Amorim reveals the inside story of Manchester United's comeback! His favorite Mount makes a breakthrough, earning praise beyond just scoring

Manchester United took full points on the road against Crystal Palace, initially down 0-1 and struggling in the first half, but they changed the situation after the break by netting two goals within ten minutes to overturn the score. Post-match, coach Ruben Amorim revealed he sensed a chance for reversal near the end of the first half.

Last season, Manchester United finished fifth from the bottom in the Premier League and failed to qualify for European competitions. This result, however, has given them more rest time now, with only one match per week. In contrast, FA Cup winners Crystal Palace have to compete in European matches, an experience new to them, putting them at a physical disadvantage.

Crystal Palace traveled to Strasbourg in France on Thursday, not only losing the match but also impacting their Premier League preparations. Data shows that whenever they have midweek UEFA Europa Conference League group games this season, they have failed to win in the following league matches, losing to Everton and Arsenal and drawing with Brighton. Now, they have also lost to Manchester United.

After the game, Amorim confirmed he noticed Crystal Palace showing signs of fatigue before halftime and used this observation to motivate Manchester United to increase their intensity during the break. The Red Devils’ coach said that witnessing this situation convinced him his team had a chance to turn things around, with scoring goals being the key.

“I could feel it — if you watched the final moments of the first half, you’d see Crystal Palace struggling to carry the ball out of their box. Their movements showed they were tiring. We picked up on this and sped up the pace, raising the intensity. I told the players that as soon as we scored one goal, the entire situation would change,” he said.

Amorim stated that during halftime he told the Manchester United players to be more proactive and take control of the match. “The key was running, which you could see from Zirkzee’s performance—he connected well with teammates through second balls. I had to explain this to the players, but we have similar experiences; last season, after playing in the Europa League midweek, our weekend matches felt just as tiring.”

In the second half, Manchester United players showed a completely different fighting spirit. After Zirkzee’s stunning equalizer, Amorim’s favorite Mason Mount and captain Bruno Fernandes executed a free-kick routine, with Mount scoring a low shot to take the lead. Mount started for the first time in four matches and rewarded the coach’s trust with his performance.

It is worth noting that this was Mount’s first full 90-minute appearance in the Premier League since joining over a year and a half ago! For the often-injured 26-year-old English midfielder, this marks a significant personal milestone.

Mount said, “I feel great, and today’s victory means a lot. Playing the full match is also very important to me. I hadn’t done that for a while, but recently I’ve felt excellent with no issues, really enjoying playing football. I think coming back from a 0-1 deficit at halftime shows our strong spirit. The right adjustments in the dressing room were crucial, and I believe the whole team was fantastic, giving their all in the second half.”

Besides scoring, Mount also earned praise for comforting young teammate Lenny Yaro after the match. The 20-year-old French defender not only conceded a penalty through a foul on Matteta but also made several other mistakes. Fortunately, Crystal Palace failed to capitalize, or Manchester United might have been trailing by more than one goal. Consequently, Yaro was substituted early in the second half and sat on the bench looking frustrated.

Although Manchester United ultimately won, Yaro appeared somewhat downcast after the match. Wearing a hood, he looked gloomy, but before Mount went to acknowledge the fans, he took time to encourage the young player.