The weaker the opposition, the weaker the performances from Wout Weghorst against Reading and Nottingham Forest over the last week. United must hope that was on account of the relatively serene manner of those victories. Weghorst did okay at Selhurst Park last month but it is not ideal that United are deprived of a more fluid frontman in a month of intense matches.
If United win today they’ll be back to within eight points of Arsenal. Just saying. I think we can say the title chances are probably over but there might be a few Premier League clubs looking at Arsenal defended set-pieces at Goodison Park and decide to launch it under their crossbar between now and the end of the season. They’ve got Brentford next week, who are probably the masters at that. United can only keep on winning and try and close that gap.
Erik ten Hag has confirmed Anthony Martial is absent from United’s team to play Crystal Palace due to injury. Martial, 27, returned from a two-week layoff against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday and he played 30 minutes from the substitute bench in that League Cup clash, but he’s unavailable again to play Palace on Saturday afternoon with an injury concern.
Ten Hag was actually more critical of United’s draw yesterday than he was in his post-match press conference at Selhurst Park. He accused the players of operating at 90%. He had a point. United were too casual in the second-half and got what they deserved when Olise whipped that free-kick- in.
If Martial is out again for United and it is injury-related then the club have got to try and cash in on him in the summer. He’s 27, this is his eighth season at United and he’s had two good seasons. He has already missed 15-and-a-half weeks of the season through injury.
500TH LEAGUE GOAL FOR THE GREATEST CRISTIANO RONALDO 🐐🔥pic.twitter.com/tXP5bJ3JWs
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) February 9, 2023