Man Utd 2 Crystal Palace 1: Ten-man Red Devils hold on to big win thanks to Bruno and Rashford but suffer Casemiro blow

IN the land of small graces, at least Casemiro will be fit and fresh for the Carabao Cup final and the Euro duels with Barcelona.

But Erik ten Hag was hardly keen to prove to Manchester United that they could do without their brilliant Brazilian.

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For most of the 70 minutes, everything had gone according to plan for United and their manager.

Two goals ahead, seldom had to break a gallop and drove to the Premier home win for the sixth straight season, a feat not matched in 2017

Then, within a crazy minute, a very dark cloud had suddenly wrapped itself around the silver lining.

Jeff Schlupp started it off with a cheap and, to be honest, pretty cowardly shot as he shoved Anthony down the sideline bench and into the rink.

Needless to say, the Brazilian took offense and bounced back up to confront the Palace pusher… and as always with these things, everyone else stacked up.

As the blame, accusations and sedatives subsided, referee Andre Marriner showed both protagonists yellow cards. But worse was to come for United.

Casemiro opted for the hand-around-the-neck method to keep Will Hughes out of the brawl. As soon as VAR official Tony Harrington asked Marriner to take a look, they feared the worst.

Indeed, the red came out and United faced the final 20 minutes without the man so many believe is holding things together here.

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Well we’ll soon see how much as he now faces the prem double header against Leeds and a clash with Leicester.

Considering the last time United were without him – that suspension at Arsenal after a caution at Palace of all things – the ten-game unbeaten run came to an abrupt end.

At least he will be able to face Newcastle at Wembley. And at least United have another man in Bruno Fernandes who isn’t far behind when it comes to how important he is.

The Portugal midfielder has been at Old Trafford for three years and a week after coming on from Sporting Lisbon for £47million in January 2020.

In all that time he has only missed ONE game through illness or injury – apart from those in which his various managers have rested him. Talk about Mr. Reliable.

He certainly has been lately, with a goal or an assist in all five league games this year.

Yesterday’s came after just four minutes – his 22nd^nd successful penalty against just three misses – to set United on course for what initially looked like a fairly standard three points.

This time, VAR referee Harrington United’s pal when he noticed Hughes’ left arm had turned Rashford’s cross away.

Bruno kicked before and after a staccato stutter and a few hops sent the ball to the left, keeper Vicente Guaita diving the other way and United were up front.

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For a long time afterwards it was almost a training game attack against defense. Palace were pathetic, United just wasteful

Guaita scraped out a header from Wout Weghorst, which fell into the top corner and Rashford hit the keeper’s palms with his pointed shot.

Then Anthony showed that his right leg is indeed capable of more than continuing with a punch that the palace keeper slammed down before a Fred sidefoot found the side netting.

At times United would have met more resistance from a series of training cones, such was Patrick Vieira’s team.

It was dads versus boys, fantasy versus flappers, hopefuls versus hopeless and a chance for the home side to go through their entire bag of tricks.

We had Rashford nutmeg against Nathanial Clyne, who was immediately outplayed by Casemiro, who spun one himself to leave Cheick Doucoure red-faced.

And when Rashford scored his tenth goal in 12 games in all competitions since the World Cup – more than any other Prem player – everything seemed perfectly normal.

It came when Casemiro found Alejandro Garnacho and the substitute’s cross was nudged home as Rashford got caught between Marc Guehi and Chris Richards.

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But if ten Hag had hoped his side would make it with minimal fuss, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Ten minutes after Rashford’s run-in second came the focus that now threatens to derail everything.

For a while yesterday it looked like they might derail her straight away when Palace suddenly received a shot in the arm that her own performance hadn’t come close to matching.

The fact that it came from Schlupp, turning Doucoure’s missed shot past David De Gea from close range, only increased the frustration and anger in the Reds’ ranks in equal measure.

From easy street to backs-to-the-wall in a deflected second, and suddenly it was United fighting not just to survive but certainly to maintain their advantage.

Luckily, Palace still couldn’t muster enough threat to equalize last month at the last minute.

This time United were able to persevere and figure it out… although at what cost remains to be seen.