Manchester United produced a stirring second-half comeback to overcome Crystal Palace 2-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, March 1, 2026, extending their unbeaten run under interim manager Michael Carrick to 10 matches and propelling them into third place in the Premier League.
The visitors stunned the home crowd early when Maxence Lacroix headed them in front in the 4th minute from a Brennan Johnson corner, exploiting poor marking to nod the ball past the United goalkeeper.
Palace dominated much of the first half on the counter-attack, with Ismaïla Sarr posing a constant threat, while United struggled to create clear chances. Dean Henderson, facing his former club, produced several key saves to preserve the Eagles’ lead heading into the break.
The game turned decisively in the 56th minute when Lacroix was shown a red card following a long VAR review. The Palace defender was adjudged to have denied a goalscoring opportunity by pulling back Matheus Cunha inside the box. Referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot after consulting the monitor.
Bruno Fernandes stepped up and coolly converted the penalty in the 57th minute, sending Henderson the wrong way to level the scores at 1-1.
Just eight minutes later, Fernandes turned provider, delivering a superb cross from deep on the right that Benjamin Sesko powered into the net with a bullet header in the 65th minute. The Slovenian forward, making his first start under Carrick after impressing as a substitute, notched his second winning goal in a matter of days following his strike in Monday’s 1-0 victory at Everton.
Sesko’s clinical finish made it six goals in his last seven appearances and secured the three points for the Red Devils.
Henderson continued to excel in the Palace goal with a string of fine saves to keep the scoreline respectable, but United held firm to claim the victory.
The result strengthens United’s push for Champions League qualification, marking their highest league position since May 2023.
Carrick’s side now turn their attention to a midweek trip to Newcastle United, aiming to maintain their impressive momentum.
