Manchester United's inconsistent season continues with home loss to Crystal Palace

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Erik ten Hag's side suffered their fourth Premier League defeat of the campaign on another disappointing afternoon at Old Trafford

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund looks dejected after defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in September 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester United's inconsistent start to the season continued on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

United beat Palace 3-0 in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, but were unable to follow up that result on Saturday as Joachim Andersen's 25th-minute goal separated the two teams.

Erik ten Hag's side were much better in the second half and had 75% of the possession overall, but Palace held on for a win which moves them above the Red Devils into ninth place.

United are 10th, with just nine points from their seven fixtures so far in 2023/34, having won three of those games and lost the other four.

Ten Hag's side beat Wolves 1-0 in their opening Premier League game, but lost away to Tottenham in their second match.

The Red Devils then defeated Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in their third Premier League game, before back-to-back 3-1 defeats away to Arsenal and at home to Brighton.

A 1-0 win at Burnley last weekend looked to have got the 20-time champions of England back on track, but this latest loss leaves them in mid-table with Ten Hag still very much under pressure.

Next up for Manchester United is a home match against Brentford next weekend, before a trip to struggling Sheffield United after the international break later in October.

More Manchester United stories

Barcelona are reportedly weighing up a January loan move for Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho.

Meanwhile, United could make a big attacking signing of their own: the 'new Maradona' has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford.

And £72m summer arrival Rasmus Hojlund has been compared to former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner.

Ben Hayward
Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.