Marcus Rashford is hopeful Manchester United can build on their dominant EFL Cup success over Barnsley when they go to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, highlighting the importance of their attackers building positive relationships. (More Football News)
Rashford scored twice as United routed the third-tier side 7-0 at Old Trafford, reaching the fℱourth round of a competition they won in Ten Hag's first season at the helm in 2022-23.
On Saturday, they return to the scene of one of their most humiliating defeats under the Dutchman, facing a Crystal Palace side that📖 thrashed them 4-0 in May.
Rashford – who also opened his Premier League account for the 🀅season in last week's 3-0 victory at Southampton – believes the confiden꧒ce garnered from United's midweek win could take them far.
"It's 🌼important to have those relationships on the pitch but I think as a front unit, linking withꦬ the midfield, we did very well," Rashford told Sky Sports.
"Before the first goal, it wa♈s a little difficult but after the first one, we found better spaces and we probably made bette🌠r decisions in order to score."
Asked if🍷 the𒊎 goals would now start to flow for him, Rashford said: "It's early to say but I hope so. We'll move onto the next game now and just rest, recover and focus on the next one.
"Football is football, sometimes youไ have ups and sometimes you have downs. We have to use these games to find m🐼omentum and find consistency."
Palace, meanwhile, are 16th in the table with two points from four matches, though they did earn a 2-1 EFL C🍸up win at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.
Having netted on his return to his former club, attacking midfi♏elder Eberechi Eze said: "Of course, to come back here an🐻d to score is a great feeling.
"That was the main thing as to what we wanted to come here and do: win, go through to the n💃ext round, and put in a performance.
&q𓆏uot;It's a difficult place to come. You can see the atmosphere, it's not easy to play under, but we did what we needed to do, and tꦑhat's the most important thing."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Since Glasner's first game in charge in February, only Erling Haaland (19) has scored more Premier League goals than Mateta (15 in 17 gameᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚs), including a goal in May's 4-0 rout𓄧 of the Red Devils.
In that time, he has also scored multiple goals on four occasions (three braces, one hat-trick) – only Wilfried Zaha has ever scored more than ꦍonce in more different Premier League games for the Eagles (six braces).
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
United captain Fernandes has had more shots without scoring than any other player in the Premier 𒀰League so far this season (13).
Overall, United have the third-highest expected goals total in the Premier League this൲ term (7.9 xG) but have scored five goals, with only Southampton (4.6 xG, one g🔥oal) registering a worse underperformance. They will hope Fernandes can lead from the front here.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Glasner's Palace beat United 4-0 in the P🦄remier League last season – only eight managers have ever won their first two games against the Red Devils in the competition, most recently Roberto De Zerbi with Brighton in September 2023.
That victory was part of a Premier League double by the Eagꦰles, the first time they have ever beaten United in consecutive league matches.
United have now lost two of their last three away league games against Pal🅠ace (one draw), having gone unbeaten through their previ🍌ous 13 such visits to Selhurst Park, winning nine and drawing four.
The Red Devils have struggled in London more generally under Ten Hag, only winning two of their last 16 away Premier League games in the capital (four draws, 10 defeats), with🌱 both victories coming at Fulham (2-1 in November 2022, 1-0 in November 2023).
With Palace winless in the Premier League so fa🐻r this season (two draws, two defeats) after ending 2023-24 with six victories𝐆 in their final seven games (one draw), it may not be a surprise to see the spoils shared.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace – 35.9%
Manchester United – 39.1%
Draw – 25%
