Zirkzee ends goal drought to inspire Man Utd victory at Palace

AFP | London

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Joshua Zirkzee scored his first Premier League goal for nearly a year before Mason Mount grabbed the winner as Manchester United came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 yesterday.

Ruben Amorim’s side trailed to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first half penalty at Selhurst Park, but Zirkzee and Mount netted after the interval to secure United’s first win in four games.

United recovered from their lacklustre start thanks to Zirkzee’s first goal in the Premier League since he netted against Everton in December 2024.

The much-maligned Dutch striker had gone 24 league games without a goal, adding to perception that his £36 million ($47.7million) move from Bologna in 2024 was a bad investment.

Zirkzee, 24, had failed to score in his eight previous appearances dating back to April.

Plagued by injuries, Mount has also struggled since joining United from Chelsea and this was just his second goal this season.

“I could see that Palace were getting tired at the end of the first half and knew they would suffer if we scored,” Amorim said. “The pace and intensity was better in the second half. We controlled the game. We took advantage of a tired opponent.”