Crystal Palace were reduced to 10 men when Maxence Lacroix was sent off
15:31, 01 Mar 2026Updated 15:50, 01 Mar 2026
Matheus Cunha is given a penalty during Manchester United vs Crystal Palace(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Manchester United were handed a route back into their Premier League game on Sunday courtesy of a controversial penalty and red card against Crystal Palace.
Michael Carrick’s men fell behind early on at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix’s looping header beat Senne Lammens. United were frustrated by the Eagles throughout the first half, before they were awarded a penalty.
Bruno Fernandes’ pass played Matheus Cunha through on goal, only for Lacroix to drag the Brazilian down inside the box. Referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot before taking his time to make a decision on the defender.
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Moments later, he was sent to the on-field screen before announcing the Palace ace would be sent off. “After review, Crystal Palace number 5 commits a clear holding offence which denies a clear, obvious goal scoring opportunity,” Kavanagh announced. “Final decision is penalty and red card.”
Fernandes tucked away the penalty to level the scoring. Benjamin Sesko then put United ahead from Fernandes’ brilliant delivery to continue his fine goalscoring run.
Since Ruben Amorim was sacked at the start of the year, Sesko has scored six goals, including three consecutive games. After rescuing a point at West Ham at the start of last month, he came off the bench to net the winner against Everton.
The striker was handed his first start since the 2-2 draw against Burnley under Darren Fletcher for Sunday’s game. Calls for him to be a constant in Carrick’s starting line-up have emerged after his impressive cameos.
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There was another call for a penalty after Sesko’s goal, with Cunha going down under pressure again. However, Kavanagh was rapid in ordering the forward to get up after he claimed for a penalty.
There will be more to follow. We’ll bring you the very latest updates on this breaking news story.
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