Manchester United climbed to third place in the Premier League after edging Crystal Palace 2-1 at Old Trafford, while Tottenham Hotspur suffered another setback in their fight to avoid relegation following defeat at Fulham F.C..
Slovenian striker Benjamin Šeško continued his impressive run of form, scoring the decisive goal as United extended their unbeaten streak under manager Michael Carrick. The forward was handed his first start in seven matches and delivered with a crucial contribution that strengthened United’s push for a return to the UEFA Champions League.
Palace made a bright start and took the lead when defender Maxence Lacroix rose above Leny Yoro to head home a corner delivered by Brennan Johnson.
United responded strongly and have now collected 19 points from a possible 21 since Carrick assumed control. The turning point came just before the hour mark when Lacroix was sent off for pulling back Matheus Cunha inside the box.
Midfielder Bruno Fernandes converted the resulting penalty, beating former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Fernandes later played a key role in the winner, delivering a curling cross that Šeško powered into the net. The goal marked the striker’s seventh in eight appearances, helping to silence early criticism surrounding his £74 million move.
Tottenham Continue Struggles
Elsewhere, Tottenham’s poor run continued as they lost 2-1 away to Fulham at Craven Cottage, leaving the London club only four points above the relegation zone.
Fulham took control of the match before the break through goals from Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi, moving the hosts up to ninth place and keeping their hopes of European qualification alive.
Richarlison scored a late header for Spurs, but it was not enough to prevent defeat. The result means Tottenham remain the only side in the Premier League yet to record a victory in 2026 under interim manager Igor Tudor.
In another result, Brighton & Hove Albion secured a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest. The game burst into life early, with Diego Gómez and Danny Welbeck scoring for Brighton, while Morgan Gibbs-White responded for Forest.
Forest remain just two points above the relegation zone and face a difficult away fixture against Manchester City on Wednesday.
Attention now turns to Sunday’s headline clash as league leaders Arsenal F.C. host Chelsea F.C.. Arsenal’s advantage at the top has been trimmed to two points after City secured a narrow 1-0 win away to Leeds United on Saturday.
Chelsea, currently sixth, are also under pressure to secure points as only the top five teams will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
