The first 20 minutes of the match were relatively uneventful, with neither side finding a clear opportunity.
Crystal Palace's tactical intent was obvious: tight marking on Ling in the backline, with midfielders dropping deep to cut off his connection with teammates.
By settling into a defensive stance early, they prevented Man United's forwards from utilizing their mobility. One had to admit Hodgson's tactical choice was quite shrewd.
But then, Mahrez got on the ball on the right wing.
Because of the cold 5°C weather, the Algerian winger was wearing gloves today.
Amid the roaring cheers from Man United fans, Mahrez dribbled past two defenders, cutting inside from the wing toward the center!
Ling immediately darted towards the left side of the penalty area, pulling James Tomkins out of position.
Facing former Liverpool center-back Mamadou Sakho, Mahrez dropped his shoulder, changed direction, and nudged the ball past Sakho's tackle before curling a vicious shot from just outside the penalty area!
Bang!
The ball flew out with a swerve and spun perfectly into the net!
Man United took the lead and Old Trafford erupted in excitement!
Mahrez celebrated by pumping his fists in exhilaration.
Ling wrapped an arm around Lukaku's shoulder as they walked back to the center circle.
"Do you know what nickname Mahrez has back in his home country?"
Lukaku shook his head.
"They say Mahrez in winter is like Messi," Ling laughed. "When he puts on gloves, he becomes the world's best winger."
To be honest, Ling had been quite surprised when he first heard the joke.
But after seeing Mahrez's performance with gloves on—his vision, dribbling, and shooting all significantly improved—he began to believe in the existence of such mystique.
'I wonder what my own lucky charm is?' Ling thought.
"Jeremy, do you think if I get myself a pair of gloves, I'll become better too?" Lukaku's small eyes darted around mischievously.
Ling shot him a disdainful look. "You'd be better off focusing on losing weight, don't you think? It's already three months into the new season, and you haven't even made double-digit appearances. Aren't you worried at all?"
Lukaku looked a bit aggrieved and muttered under his breath, "Well, isn't that all because of you?"
Ling was momentarily speechless.
In all competitive sports, it's survival of the fittest.
If you're strong enough, you play, if not, you sit on the bench.
He had warned Lukaku earlier not to gain too much weight. Lukaku had taken it to heart but only managed to slow the rate of his weight gain rather than reverse it. Now he had to face the consequences.
Besides, Ling didn't want to play as a left winger forever. That position was too far from the goal, and his scoring efficiency would never match that of a center forward.
He didn't feel guilty about taking Lukaku's spot.
Everyone was chasing their own dreams—there was no right or wrong in that.
...
After the match resumed, Crystal Palace launched a fierce counterattack. Surprisingly, Man United looked utterly disorganized in their new shape.
If not for Phil Jones's desperate clearance, Wilfried Zaha would have likely scored the equalizer.
The 4-4-2 formation still didn't quite suit United. While it brought the midfield closer to the forwards and provided more support for the attacking players, it also positioned them nearer to the opponent's dense defense.
Pogba's ability to escape tight spaces in a rigid midfield flat-four wasn't quite there yet, leaving United consistently passive on the defensive end.
Mourinho frowned as he watched the game, signaling the Man United players to focus on defense and try to hold on until halftime.
The players retreated en masse to form a compact defensive block, with both Ling and Lukaku joining in.
At halftime, Mourinho made significant tactical adjustments, reverting the overall formation to their familiar 4-2-3-1.
Lukaku was positioned as the lone striker up front, with Matić and Pogba as the double pivots in defensive midfield, and Ling temporarily moved to the attacking midfield role.
The impact of the formation change was immediate—Man United quickly seized control of the match in the second half.
In the 54th minute, Ling dropped back to receive a pass from Matić. The Man United attackers immediately began making runs, stretching Crystal Palace's defensive lines.
A small gap suddenly opened up in Crystal Palace's defensive third.
Without hesitation, Ling drove forward with the ball. Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojević rushed to close him down.
But with a sudden stop and a deft touch with his right foot, Ling effortlessly glided past him.
After a quick one-two with Mahrez on the flank, Ling unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box that sent the ball crashing into Crystal Palace's net!
2-0!
The scales of victory had tilted overwhelmingly toward Man United.
With a two-goal lead, Mourinho substituted Lukaku with Scott McTominay and shifted to a defensive counterattacking strategy to close out the game.
In the 74th minute, Ling received the ball in midfield, shook off his marker, and delivered a long diagonal pass to the right wing.
The 'Winter Limited Edition' Mahrez controlled it in one touch, dribbled past his defender, and essentially replicated his first goal, curling it into the far corner!
3-0!
However, as the match entered its final stages, Wilfried Zaha, entered a state of burst mode.
He successively dribbled past Pogba and Phil Jones before sweeping a low shot into the far corner to score a consolation goal for Palace.
After scoring, Zaha celebrated excitedly.
Once a player discarded by Man United during the David Moyes era, he had now become Crystal Palace's absolute key player, with successful dribbling attempts per game second only to Eden Hazard and Ling in the league.
Speaking of this past incident, Man United's previous management bore undeniable responsibility.
They had failed to provide Zaha with the treatment and patience a young player deserved.
Sir Alex Ferguson, watching from the stands, felt a mix of emotions.
He had originally believed Zaha could wear Man United's iconic number 7 and become a world-class winger when he signed him.
But no one could have predicted things would turn out the way they did.
Fortunately, Man United hadn't let go of the even more exceptional Ling.
Ultimately, Man United defeated Crystal Palace 3-1, securing a vital victory in the 13th round of the Premier League.
Unfortunately, Man City thrashed West Ham 4-0 on the same day, maintaining their position at the top of the table and denying Man United any chance to overtake them.
Liverpool beat Watford 3-0, closely trailing behind Man United.
Tottenham defeated Chelsea 3-1, climbing to fourth place in the standings.
Arsenal edged Bournemouth 2-1, gradually finding their form under Unai Emery.
All Premier League 'Big 6' teams had bright futures ahead—except for pitiful Chelsea.
With just one-third of the season completed, Maurizio Sarri's "Sarri-ball" tactics had already been thoroughly decoded by the rest of the league.
As long as Jorginho could be completely neutralized with man-marking, Chelsea's attack would be half-paralyzed.
Moreover, according to tabloid reports from The Sun, Chelsea's locker room was in disarray, with players frequently blaming each other.
Oh, and there was one more thing: Chelsea had just been banned by FIFA from signing players in the next two transfer windows for violating financial regulations.
Plagued by internal strife and external troubles, their future looked bleak.
After four days of rest, the Man United squad welcomed the fifth round of the Champions League group stage.
Having been held to a frustrating draw by Hoffenheim in their previous encounter in Germany, they were determined to win at Old Trafford today and secure their advancement to the knockouts as group winners!
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