Manchester United 2-1 and up to third! Bruno Fernandes sets up and scores to set record, Sesko nets winner as Carrick builds big top-four advantage.

Manchester United overturned a deficit to defeat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Old Trafford, climbing past Aston Villa to take third spot in the Premier League standings. Bruno Fernandes was instrumental after the break, scoring a penalty to level the match and then setting up Benjamin Sesko for the decisive goal, achieving his 100th assist for the club.

Manager Michael Carrick finally rotated his starting lineup, with striker Benjamin Sesko—recently voted United's Player of the Month for February—making his first start, replacing Amad Diallo who had struggled to contribute goals lately, while Mbeumo returned to the right-wing position.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, returning to the Theatre of Dreams as Crystal Palace captain, used his knowledge of the ground by choosing ends before kick-off, opting to attack the Stretford End first. This forced United keeper Sena Lamens to face the sun. The decision paid off for the visitors almost immediately.

Of course, the bigger issue might not have been the sun but United's defending. From Brennan Johnson's left-wing corner, Maxence Lacroix made a clever run to lose Lenny Yoro and looped a header into the far corner, with Lamens helpless. United trailed 0-1, leaving Carrick looking grim on the touchline.

Neither side reached their expected level in the first half, with frequent passing errors. Mbeumo, Kobbie Mainoo, Diogo Dalot, and Luke Shaw were among those guilty of basic mistakes, gifting possession to the opposition.

To make matters worse, in the 24th minute Luke Shaw stayed down after a clash with Munoz. Following medical attention, he was forced off, replaced by Noussair Mazraoui.

Luke Shaw had started every game for United this season, but his run of 28 consecutive appearances is now under threat. England assistant coach Anthony Barry was watching from the directors' box, after manager Thomas Tuchel had hinted at a potential recall for Shaw.

United's attack didn't improve. The most chaotic moment came when Mazraoui and Matheus Cunha collided while both attempting to meet Mbeumo's cross from the right.

Set-pieces provided the main threat for both teams. In the 31st minute, Mbeumo's right-wing corner found Harry Maguire, whose header was blocked by Ismaïla Sarr and flashed wide. Captain Bruno Fernandes then took two free-kicks—one shot superbly saved by Henderson, and one delivery headed off target by Casemiro.

United went into halftime 0-1 down, with Carrick and Bruno Fernandes rushing back to the dressing room, while fans unveiled a banner criticizing owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

It featured images of Eric Cantona, Park Ji-sung, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Bruno Fernandes, Amad, and Casemiro, with the message: Manchester United's success is built by immigrants. Unfortunately, Sir Jim was not in attendance; he hasn't been to Old Trafford since Carrick's first game against Manchester City on January 17th.

United changed after the break, or more accurately, Crystal Palace did. Soon after the restart, Lacroix was again central to the action, but this time negatively...

He pulled back Cunha, who was through on goal, near the edge of the box. After a four-minute VAR review, referee Chris Kavanagh judged the foul continued into the penalty area and produced a red card and penalty—the fourth time an opponent has been sent off at the Theatre of Dreams this season.

Henderson had saved a penalty for Wolves last week, but Bruno Fernandes sent him the wrong way from the spot to make it 1-1. The momentum shifted, and with a man advantage, a second United goal seemed only a matter of time.

Eleven minutes later, Bruno Fernandes was the creator again, delivering a cross from the right. Sesko met it with a glancing header that bounced past Henderson, putting United 2-1 ahead. Sesko now has three decisive goals in a month, with seven in nine games since the managerial change, proving he deserves a starting role.

Statistics show that since the start of 2026, only Brentford's Igor Thiago (7 goals) has scored more Premier League goals than Sesko (6). Before this year, Sesko had managed just two goals in 15 league appearances.

Meanwhile, the assist marked Bruno Fernandes's 100th for United, making him only the third player in club history with both 100+ goals and assists, after Ryan Giggs (168 goals, 274 assists) and Wayne Rooney (253 goals, 142 assists). His 18 combined goals and assists in the Premier League this season surpass David Beckham's single-season record of 17, trailing only Rooney (35) and Giggs (22) in that metric.

Henderson was one of the few Palace players who could leave with his head held high, having done everything possible. Late on, he denied Casemiro in a one-on-one and kept out a long-range effort from substitute Amad, defying the home fans who had taunted him as a "United reject."

In the reverse fixture, Palace also led at halftime before collapsing. This repeat wasn't coincidence; both times Palace had played Europa Conference League matches on Thursday, starting strong with fresh legs but fading noticeably in the second half.

This is one of United's key advantages in securing a Champions League spot. Rivals Villa, Liverpool, and Chelsea all have European commitments, playing almost twice as many games this month. Carrick can focus solely on Premier League preparation—three matches in March, three in April, four in May—giving United a clear physical edge, as seen against Palace.

This was United's first home win over Crystal Palace since the 2018/19 season. Carrick remains unbeaten in his first seven games in charge (6 wins, 1 draw), a run that has pulled United level on points with Villa and into third on goal difference. After Chelsea lost 1-2 to Arsenal, United now lead sixth place by six points, tightening their grip on a top-four finish.

Carrick commented post-match: "The current league position doesn't mean anything special yet. But it's certainly a good achievement, and we want to keep improving. We conceded early but recovered and responded positively."

The United manager warned that different challenges lie ahead. "I'm pleased with the win and the way we turned around a difficult start. Palace began very well, but we showed strong belief and character. Coming from a goal down so early is a new test for us. You always face difficulties and have to be nearly perfect."

On whether Sesko has now earned a starting role, Carrick said: "It wasn't a gamble or a big decision. Benjamin is in good form and has been very important in recent weeks. He's getting to grips with the Premier League, and scoring the winner today was fantastic. We'll keep supporting him; I'm sure it will continue, as he gives everything for the team."