Manchester United earned their first home win of the season on Saturday as they defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 at Old Trafford.
Robin van Persie gave the hosts a half-time lead from the penalty spot after Kagisho Dikgacoi had been sent off for a foul on Ashley Young.
The victory was then sealed late on when Wayne Rooney curled in a free kick.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Man Utd:
Shots 19
On target 7
Possession 62%
Corners 10
Fouls 8
Palace:
Shots 4
On target 0
Possession 38%
Corners 1
Fouls 11
Was the result fair?
While it was a far from convincing display from United, they were deserving of the win thanks to the persistent pressure that they put Palace under. The visitors threatened occasionally on the break, but it was the hosts who forced the result with a doggedness that they have shown so often in the past.
Man Utd's performance
There was a certain lack of imagination from David Moyes's side for much of the match as they huffed and puffed with little end result. However, they refused to give up and rarely afforded their opponents much time on the ball with an energetic showing.
Crystal Palace's performance
The Eagles were camped in their own half for large chunks of the game, but they caused United a few problems when they broke with the pace of Dwight Gayle and Jason Puncheon. Ian Holloway is sure to be pleased with the way that his players fought and kept the hosts out for nearly the entire first half, but the reality is that they now have three defeats out of four.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Michael Carrick: The midfielder ran the show yet again for United, picking out teammates with laser-like precision while putting his foot in to win the ball back when needed. There is absolutely nothing flash about Carrick, but he continues to be such a vital presence for the champions.
Biggest gaffe
Not so much a single moment, but more 62 minutes of woeful football from Anderson in the United midfield. The Brazilian looked well of the pace and gave the ball away cheaply a few times.
Referee performance
Jon Moss is likely to get a bit of stick for giving United their penalty, but it should be remembered that he got a number of decisions right before and after that in what was a decent display.
What next?
Man Utd: The Red Devils get their Champions League campaign underway on Tuesday as they welcome Bayer Leverkuse to Old Trafford.
Crystal Palace: Ian Holloway's side return to Premier League action next Sunday when they host Swansea City.
Jack Prescott
