Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League

Manchester United moved to within a point of fourth-place Arsenal with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Damien Delaney's own goal and Matteo Darmian's second-half wonder strike were the difference for United.

The game was never really in question, as United completely dominated, controlling 66 percent of possession and outshooting Crystal Palace 16-5 (10-0 on goal), per ESPN FC.

It was United's sixth straight Premier League win at Old Trafford, a run that has included five clean sheets, per Squawka Football.

The Red Devils took the lead just four minutes into the contest. Darmian smashed a low corner into the box, though he didn't have any team-mates really threatening the goal. Nonetheless, Delaney attempted to clear the effort out of play, only to instead beat his own 'keeper, Julian Speroni, at the near post.

That has become a bit of a trend for Delaney at Crystal Palace, as OptaJoe noted:

United continued to dominate the first half from there, as the club's official Twitter account noted:

It wouldn't take United long in the second half to double their lead.

Juan Mata lined up a corner in the 55th minute, but his effort was cleared out of the box. It didn't go far, however, as Darmian chested down the ball and set himself up on his left foot at the edge of the box. He promptly ripped a slicing rocket on to the left post before the ball ricocheted behind the goal line for the goal.

It was a momentous moment for Darmian, as Squawka Football noted:

United continued to be the more dangerous side from there. Antonio Valencia played Marcus Rashford free down the right flank in the 62nd minute, and Rashford unselfishly played a pass to Jesse Lingard, who appeared to have a wide open net to shoot into. 

Speroni recovered well, however, diving to stop that attempt before stymieing Rashford's attempt at goal on the rebound.

Crystal Palace simply couldn't muster anything in the way of a comeback effort, and the Manchester United goalkeeper was left with little to do. Jamie Jackson of the Guardian wasn't terribly impressed with the second-half showing:

United won't complain with the relatively easy win. The victory brought them to a point behind Arsenal in fourth—the Gunners have a game in hand, however, and face West Brom on Thursday—and two points within third-place Manchester City. 

If Louis van Gaal is to have any chance of retaining his managerial position, United will surely need to play UEFA Champions League football next year. That makes the team's final four games—against league-leading Leicester City, Norwich City, West Ham and Bournemouth—absolutely crucial.

For Crystal Palace, meanwhile, another season of Premier League football seems likely. The Eagles are probably safe with 39 points and a nine-point lead over 18th-placed Sunderland. If Sunderland or Newcastle get red hot down the stretch, however, the Eagles might be in some trouble based on Wednesday's performance.

On the other hand, the club did draw with Arsenal in their previous match, so Wednesday's performance may have simply been an aberration. 

Post-Match Reaction

After the match, Darmian was hoping he could duplicate his epic tally.

"I think it is my best goal and I hope there is another one to come!" he said, per the club. 

Daley Blind praised his team-mate's strike as well:

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew was obviously less pleased with his side's performance.

"I was disappointed to concede a goal like we did in the first six minutes, it was avoidable," he said, per the club. "It took a bit of ambition out of us."

He continued: "We had to defend very, very hard. Getting up the pitch, trying to get some possession was difficult, they made it difficult."

He concluded: "After the Arsenal performance it was difficult to get the same energy, we had to freshen it up. We had a few knocks to consider."

It was a clear letdown performance after the excellent effort against Arsenal, so the club's fans may be a bit more inclined to look the other way. Nonetheless, whereas United will want to bottle up their performance from Wednesday and carry it over to their remaining fixtures, Crystal Palace will be hoping Wednesday's showing is behind them.

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