Manchester United Stay In Top-Four Hunt As Fernandes Cautions Against Complacency

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Bruno Fernandes stresses that Manchester United must avoid any complacency in the top-four race after a 2-1 comeback win over 10-man Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, a result that lifted Manchester United above Aston Villa into third place in the Premier League standings.

Manchester United fell behind after just four minutes when Maxence Lacroix headed Crystal Palace in front, yet the match turned after the hour when Lacroix dragged Matheus Cunha in the area, conceding a penalty and receiving a red card following VAR intervention for denying a clear scoring chance.

Fernandes converted the spot-kick to level the score before setting up Benjamin Sesko for the decisive goal, with the Manchester United captain again influencing both phases in attack, as Fernandes has now both scored and assisted in 18 Premier League matches since February 2020, a figure bettered only by Mohamed Salah with 27.

Manchester United’s resilience in 2026 continues, as the team has not lost any of the five Premier League games in which Manchester United has fallen behind this year, collecting two wins and three draws, representing the club’s best streak of avoiding defeat from losing positions since a run of five straight wins between November 2020 and January 2021.

Sesko’s impact also grows, with the forward reaching six Premier League goals in 2026, a total bettered only by Brentford’s Igor Thiago with seven, a significant upturn for Sesko, who had managed only two goals in 15 league appearances before the year turned.

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Fernandes praised Sesko’s mentality and development, saying: "He's a very good player, we just wanted to get his confidence up," Fernandes added on Sesko. "He is a kid that wants to improve. He is never just happy with a goal. He is very aware that he needs to score week in, week out for this club. Hopefully, he will have more goals between now and the end of the season."

Across the season, Crystal Palace’s struggle to protect leads continues, as only West Ham, with 20, have dropped more Premier League points from winning positions than Crystal Palace’s 19, a figure that already stands as Crystal Palace’s second-highest in a single campaign after 23 points lost during the 2023-24 season.

Crystal Palace began strongly at Old Trafford and secured reward through Lacroix’s early header, yet the defender’s dismissal proved crucial, with Lacroix initially holding Cunha outside the area before the contact carried into the box, leading to a penalty award on the field and then a straight red card following the VAR review.

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner disputed the penalty decision, stating: "It is decisive when you are 1-0 up and then concede a penalty and then have one player less," he told BBC Match of the Day. "The foul was outside the box, and the foul should be given where it starts, not where it ends. Matheus Cunha was very clever. We tried everything to get the equaliser, and we were in good situations four or five times. I think we played three days ago, and that impacts the game when you are one player down and the crowd gets back into the game at 1-1."

Fernandes, reflecting on Manchester United’s display and the wider Manchester United top-four race, said: "It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character," he told Sky Sports. "We were a little bit slow with the ball, but it was a good three points, and that is the aim. There are a lot of games to go still, and it is important that we don't feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can."

Manchester United, now unbeaten in 10 league matches, maintain strong momentum in the Premier League, yet Fernandes’ warning about maintaining standards underlines how the club views this period, as Manchester United aim to secure a top-four finish while opponents such as Crystal Palace continue to struggle with game management from winning situations.