Crystal Palace took an early lead against Manchester United at Old Trafford after Maxence Lacroix scored within five minutes of kickoff in Sunday’s Premier League fixture. In other matches, Fulham strengthened their position against Tottenham, while Brighton edged Nottingham Forest in a fast-paced encounter.
Crystal Palace stunned the home crowd when Lacroix rose highest to head home and hand the visitors an early advantage against Manchester United. The goal came before the fifth minute, putting immediate pressure on the hosts.
United struggled to settle in the opening exchanges, with Palace dominating key areas of the pitch. Diogo Dalot received the first yellow card of the match as the home side attempted to regain control.
Manager Michael Carrick was forced into an early change after Luke Shaw sustained a knock and could not continue. Noussair Mazraoui replaced the England international as United sought stability on the left flank.
Harry Maguire came close to drawing United level when he met a corner delivery, but Palace defenders blocked the effort. Matheus Cunha also had a moment of frustration after being challenged by Chris Richards during a forward move.
At Craven Cottage, Fulham doubled their lead against Tottenham through Alex Iwobi in the 34th minute. The Nigerian international completed a quick exchange of passes before guiding a right-footed effort into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
Tottenham, under Igor Tudor, showed signs of improvement after conceding but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities. Fulham maintained composure to protect their advantage.
Meanwhile, at the Amex Stadium, Brighton regained the lead against Nottingham Forest in a lively contest. Danny Welbeck scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season, finishing from close range after a headed assist inside the box to make it 2-1.
Earlier, Morgan Gibbs-White had equalised for Forest with a long-range strike, but Brighton responded quickly to restore their advantage.
Sunday’s fixtures form part of the latest round of Premier League matches as clubs enter the decisive phase of the season.
