Romelu Lukaku Brace Pushes Manchester United Past Crystal Palace 3-1

Manchester United remained right on Arsenal's heels for fourth place in the Premier League, beating Crystal Palace 3-1 on Wednesday at Selhurst Park.

Romelu Lukaku was the hero, opening the scoring in the 33rd minute after Luke Shaw brilliantly beat several Crystal Palace defenders down the left wing to set up Lukaku for a cool finish. 

Lukaku had his brace in the 52nd minute after Palace couldn't diffuse the pressure following a corner. Victor Lindelof headed the ball to Lukaku, and the talented striker hit a ridiculous effort out of the air to double the advantage.

Joel Ward's diving header at the back post in the 66th minute pulled one back for Palace, but the home side couldn't find the equaliser. Instead, Ashley Young put things away in the 83rd minute.

It was an impressive win for United, who came into the match decimated by injuries, with Jesse Lingard, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Phil Jones, Matteo Darmian, Antonio Valencia and Anthony Martial all missing. Marcus Rashford also started among the substitutes after suffering an ankle injury against Liverpool on Sunday, though he was subbed on late in the contest. 

"We want to dominate, we want to score goals and we want to keep clean sheets," Lukaku said after the match, per Joe Prince-Wright of NBC Sports. "We had the game under control. Shaw is our player of the season for me, and I'm glad he gave me the pass for the first goal. When players come back from injury, they can add to the team. It's a really strong squad."

The win kept United just one point behind Arsenal in the race for fourth place, while Crystal Palace remain just five points clear of the relegation zone with the loss.

United Favorites for 4th Place Finish Because of Depth, Undefeated Streak

It isn't a great sign for Arsenal and Chelsea that the injury-depleted Red Devils continue to stockpile points in the Premier League.

United haven't lost a Premier League match since falling to Liverpool 3-1 on Dec. 16. Since that loss, United have picked up nine wins and two draws, including a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and scoreless draw with Liverpool. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they have been in scintillating form domestically.

Under the Norwegian, United have scored 26 goals and given up just seven. Star players like Paul Pogba have been rejuvenated, while even Alexis Sanchez has played a role for the team. And while the schedule has helped—United still have to face Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea down the stretch—it's hard to deny that the Red Devils look like an unstoppable force at the moment.

The fact that they could be without a slew of key players on Wednesday and still win fairly comfortably speaks to their impressive depth. Players like Diogo Dalot, Scott McTominay, Fred and Sanchez stepped into the void left by the regulars' injury-enforced absences and handled their business.

Lukaku, meanwhile, remains one of the Premier League's most consistent forwards.

Add in the star power that Pogba provides—and the immense attacking talent and depth United possess when healthy—and this is a club in scary form.

United will have the chance to prove they are superior to Arsenal and Chelsea in head-to-head matchups before the end of the season. But if they can get healthy and continue playing at the level they have shown in the Premier League since Jose Mourinho was canned, it will be hard to bet against them.

Crystal Palace's Awful Form at Home Will Keep Them in Relegation Crosshairs

Here are two stats that should worry Crystal Palace supporters: The Eagles have secured the second-fewest points at home this season (13) and have scored the second-fewest goals at home (10). Only Huddersfield Town have been worse in both regards, which shouldn't come as a surprise since the Terriers have only managed 14 points (and 15 goals) from 28 matches. 

Crystal Palace have compensated to this point by being solid away from home, accumulating 17 points and scoring 22 goals on opposing grounds. But relying on stealing points in road matchups, in the heat and fury of a relegation fight, is not a recipe for success. 

To Palace's credit, they have been in solid form of late, coming into Wednesday's match unbeaten in their past four. At home, in form and facing a United side beset by injuries, Palace might have pulled off the upset.

Instead, they once again failed to protect their home turf.

Crystal Palace have winnable games at home down the stretch, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Huddersfield and Bournemouth among the clubs they will host. A failure to secure any points in those contests will leave the Eagles in serious danger of relegation, especially considering they still have to face Watford, Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton.

In other words, the Eagles can't relax just yet. Relegation is still a possibility.

What's Next?

Both teams are next in action on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. United will host Southampton, while Crystal Palace will travel north to take on Burnley.