The Premier League resumed this weekend with an important round of matches, including a pivotal encounter between Crystal Palace and Ruben Amorim's Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Crystal Palace headed into the fixture sitting in 13th place in the Premier League standings and had been pretty lacklustre throughout the season.
Manchester United, on the other side, were lagging behind, sitting in 12th place in the league table, and had struggled with form this season.
Under Ruben Amorim, the Red Devils had begun to show some improvement, but the situation demanded more work to be done in the coming weeks.
Lisandro Martinez faced a horrific injury
Lisandro Martinez suffered a serious injury 82 minutes into the match. The Argentine defender was engaged in a challenge for the ball against Eagles winger Ismaila Sarr when he fell awkwardly. He urgently signalled for a substitution and remained on the ground, clutching his knee and clearly in pain.
Martinez left the field on a stretcher, visibly distraught. The 27-year-old was in the midst of his 20th Premier League start of the season, which had been largely unaffected by injuries until this past weekend.
Crystal Palace won an important away fixture
Crystal Palace took the lead in the second half at the 64th minute. Set-pieces proved to be United's downfall once more, as Lacroix rose high to connect with a lofted free-kick, striking the crossbar. Mateta was quick to capitalize on the rebound, demonstrating the instincts of a good striker by scoring from close range to put the visitors ahead. Following this, Fernandes received a yellow card in the aftermath.
Mateta put the final nails in the coffin in the 89th minute and clinched the victory at Old Trafford. United fans must dread league matches here, as their record continues to plummet. After a swift counter, Munoz was set free on the right flank. His cross was spot-on, and Mateta capitalized decisively. Crystal Palace defeated Manchester United 2-0 to jump ahead of the Red Devils in the standings.