Mason Mount’s goal was the winner in Manchester United’s win against Crystal Palace, but the thinking that went into that goal has been broken down by MUTV pundits which was pure genius.
Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount’s second-half salvo ensured Man Utd broke their Selhurst Park hoodoo when they needed it the most in a 2-1 win.
Mason Mount achieved a major milestone by completing 90 minutes for Man Utd in the Premier League, a feat that was a long time coming.
Who was Manchester United’s MAN OF THE MATCH vs Crystal Palace?ð¤ð¥
United also managed to finally score past Dean Henderson, the man they sold to Palace for what now looks like a bargain, but for this one game, United’s genius bamboozled Henderson.
Mason Mount of Manchester United celebrates scoring their second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park on November 30, 2025
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
How Mason Mount caught Dean Henderson off-guard
It can be argued that United generally didn’t perform very well in the game, and were given a break when Palace tired out due to their midweek commitments.
Still, beating Palace away from home is no easy feat, and needed a stroke of luck, combined with dashes of brilliance.
United surviving the first half by conceding just once was the stroke of luck, and Mount finished them off with a dash of brilliance.
More United News
MUTV pundits Wes Brown and David May broke down the free-kick which led to Mount’s goal, and how it caught Henderson napping.
Brown said: “It’s a great one to do. You see Dean Henderson takes his hat off after that. He doesn’t know whether to have his hat on or off. We really took advantage of that situation a little bit.”
Rate Mason Mount’s time at Man Utd so far out of 10
Mason Mount in action during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in 2025 in London, England.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
May added, “The wall just capitulates. It’s a brilliant finish, he sidefoots it with pace. He probably does Henderson because he’s thinking he’s going to go into that [far] corner, but he whips it into the near post.”
Ruben Amorim has turned Man Utd into set-piece monsters
It is of immense credit to Ruben Amorim that he has taken a Man Utd side that was one of the weakest in the league at set-pieces, attacking and defensive, and turned them into monsters.
Not only do United defend them with authority, but they also lead the league alongside Arsenal in goals scored from set-pieces this season.
Carlos Fernandes deserves credit, just as he was getting the blame for the troubles last season, and this improvisation from Mount is a continuation of that trend.
The way Mount and Bruno Fernandes noticed what Henderson was doing by going to the far post, or his uncertainty with the cap, speaks volumes about the work going into set-pieces during training.
The players are made aware of multiple scenarios for each set-piece to an extent that they are able to adapt and improvise as per match situations.
Until United’s open-play attack continues to stutter, this will win them precious points.