PL Collection: United’s best clashes with Crystal Palace

A founding member of the Premier League in 1992, Crystal Palace have spent 13 years overall in the competition since its inception. They have faced United on 26 occasions in the Premier League, winning three times.

And over the years, clashes between the Reds and Palace have produced goals, with 59 being scored in total.

Despite experiencing promotions and relegations in the early years of the competition, Palace have consolidated themselves in the division since their return in 2010. With manager Patrick Vieira - who rivalled United legend Roy Keane during his playing career - at the helm, the Eagles will look to continue their development into 2022/23.

The first video we have selected was a pivotal fixture in our pursuit of the first-ever Premier League title in the 1992/93 season. Paul Ince and Mark Hughes scored the vital goals to seal a difficult, and historic, away win at Selhurst Park. 

PALACE 0 UNITED 2 (1992/93)

In match 32 of the inaugural 1992/93 Premier League season, United travelled to Palace - who were managed by former Red Steve Coppell - knowing that a win would edge us closer to winning to first-ever Premier League title. The Reds were made to work hard for the victory, as the hosts held us for just over an hour before Mark Hughes opened the scoring with an unstoppable volley at the back post. In the dying stages, Paul Ince added a second to seal the win for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. This triumph and title challengers Aston Villa’s loss at Oldham Athletic confirmed United as the winners of the Premier League; ending our 26-year wait for a top-flight title.

UNITED 5 PALACE 2 (2004/05)

When United hosted Palace in December of the 2004/05 season, Paul Scholes stole the headlines with a wonderful brace in our emphatic 5-2 win. Twice the Reds took the lead, and twice the Eagles fought back, with Scholes’s opener and Alan Smith’s 35th-minute header being cancelled out by Danny Granville and Joonas Kolkka in quick succession. However, after the half-time break, the Reds blew Palace away, with an Emerson Boyce own goal and Scholes’s second giving Sir Alex Ferguson’s side a two-goal cushion. John O’Shea added a fifth in added time, getting onto the end of a cross from Ryan Giggs, who was making his 600^th United appearance, to cap a high-scoring win.

PALACE 1 UNITED 2 (2016/17)

Another December fixture features in our selection, with this narrow 2-1 win at Selhurst Park being guaranteed by a late strike from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In a match that contained controversy, with handball shouts and contentious offside calls, Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba stood out for the Reds. The Swede chested down a cross for the Frenchman, who gave United a deserved lead at the break. But after half-time, the Eagles fought back, and James McArthur levelled the scoring just after the hour mark, setting up a tense finale. Just when the game looked to have gotten away from the Reds, Ibrahimovic slotted home Pogba’s incisive through ball to seal an important away victory.

PALACE 2 UNITED 3 (2017/18)

United staged an incredible comeback from two goals down to come away with three points from Palace in March 2018. Just two points ahead of Liverpool in second place in the Premier League, the Reds entered this fixture knowing that a win was pivotal. At half-time, the Reds, sporting a grey alternate strip, were two goals down thanks to goals from Andros Townsend and Patrick van Aanholt. Defeat looked likely. But by the 76^th minute, the Reds were level again, as Chris Smalling’s header and Romelu Lukaku’s strike wiped out the Eagles’ advantage. Then, in injury time, Nemanja Matic produced a stunning volley from outside the box, his first goal in a United shirt. The goal sent our away supporters into delirium and completed the Reds’ incredible comeback at Selhurst Park.

UNITED v PALACE: PL RECORD

Games played: 26
United wins: 18
Draws: 5
Palace wins: 3
United goals: 45
Palace goals: 14
Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku (4)