Late London Twist: United Stuns Palace to Defy History
30 November 2025
Match overview
Manchester United returned to their London base with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday in the 13th round of the Premier League. Palace opened the scoring from a penalty converted by Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 36th minute, before United hit back with a quick double from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount in the 54th and 63rd minutes.
Impact on the table and records
With the win, United move to sixth on 21 points, while Palace drop to seventh, one point behind. United’s away success in London remains a rare feat — only their fourth in 27 visits to the capital in the league, according to Opta — and this win ends Palace’s 12-game home league unbeaten run.
Key stats and anecdotes
Bruno Fernandes reached 56 Premier League assists, moving to fourth on Manchester United’s all-time list behind Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. Joshua Zirkzee scored in the Premier League for the first time since December 1, 2024, snapping a 364-day drought across 24 league appearances. Since Oliver Glasner took charge of Palace in February 2024, Mateta remains among Palace’ key scorers, while Erling Haaland tops the 2025 charts with 22 goals. The afternoon also highlighted the ongoing drama of United’s season, where late goals have been a recurring theme in their climb up the table.
Humor break: Punchline 1 — United’s comeback could teach a masterclass in plot twists; the only thing missing was a fade-to-black moment. Punchline 2 — London really is United’s favorite time zone: it only moves forward when they’re chasing the game.
