Match-winner Mount’s quality ‘never in doubt’

Since Mason Mount’s full 90 minutes in the Premier League have lasted, it has been a while.

In fact, he was playing for Chelsea against Crystal Palace in January 2023 for a long time.

That is unrelated to Mount’s skill, though.

Ruben Amorim was talking about Mount’s qualities earlier this year despite the England international having been ruled out until April due to a muscle problem, which is how confident in the 26-year-old.

Amorim’s explanation of his decision before kick-off helped him win the Premier League game at Selhurst Park.

He claimed that “Mason Mount is really smart.” He “gives us more possession,” he said. One more player should be close to the box because he is competitive and capable of scoring goals.

The comment showed incredible foresight as Mount secured United’s first victory at Palace since 2020 by firing a 20-yard free-kick into what appeared to be a pre-planned free-kick attempt from skipper Bruno Fernandes.

Nine minutes prior, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty opener was canceled out by Joshua Zirkzee’s first league goal in a year.

“Mason is a great player,” Fernandes claimed on BBC’s Match of the Day.

“His team-mates never had a doubt about his quality,” he said. He occasionally struggled with injuries and goals, but when he gains his fitness, he becomes important.

Prior to this season, Mount had to overcome injuries to maintain the momentum that paid Chelsea £55 million in June 2023.

Between March and March, Mount experienced two significant issues that required him to be hospitalized for three months and a hamstring injury that required him to be hospitalized for three more weeks.

Mount refused to let his head drop during this period of frustration.

He chose not to accept any requests from outside because he was concerned about how they might appear and how people might perceive him.

His personal refrain was, “I want my football to do the talking.”

He kept up his optimism about his rehabilitation by reminding himself that, in his day, he had been playing football at a high level in a way that was appropriate for his age.

He based his successful training habits on those he had established and that he would use to support himself in the struggles he was going through the next 20 years.

However, during his time at United, Mount only played more than 80 minutes of his playing time on the pitch during Palace’s 4-0 defeat at Selhurst Park in May 2024, the only other time he was involved.

Even this season, his longest game was 69 minutes at Fulham on August 24th, with improved fitness.

According to Mount, “I’m feeling good.”

“It was a huge win, but I also had the opportunity to play the entire game.” That is something I haven’t done in a while.

“I’ve been enjoying my football the most lately. When you have days like this in front of the fans, it is all worth it.

Mount made a revelation over the summer that he had spoken with England boss Thomas Tuchel, a result of the pair’s 2021 Champions League victories, and that he still had a chance to make his World Cup team.

Mount finds space by using the game’s “smartness” Amorim discusses while playing one of Amorim’s preferred number 10 roles in the absence of injured pair Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. His accurate ball striking is also a valuable asset.

Oliver Glasner, Palace manager, criticized the club for not doing enough when it came to recruiting his squad last summer, which helped Mount as a result of the club’s general tiredness.

Amorim’s belief that a comeback was possible was fueled by it, even though the success of coming from behind to win in the league had only happened once before the former Sporting coach’s 12-month tenure.

In the first half, they were struggling so much to get the ball out of the box, which is how I felt. You can feel their movements, said the United boss.

Given their busy schedule and Ismaila Sarr’s injury in the 38th minute, a decrease in Palace’s intensity largely contributed to their lessening threat in the second half against United.

However, Amorim’s men deserve praise for their recuperation.

Zirkzee struggled to make the ball stick during Maxence Lacroix’s intense pressure in the opening period, but the second half saw a sharper turn. He repeatedly ran into the left flank, finding himself separated from his marker, and cleverly introduced team-mates.

With 47% of United’s attacking moves going down their left, it appeared to be intentional.

Mount and Diogo Dalot made a smart left-finger rotation. Dalot was able to receive the ball in space because Mount’s movements into the wide areas made him follow him occasionally.

Palace defender Chris Richards moved up in his position to lessen the amount of time Dalot had on the ball, but this was more of a difficult defensive move than his pre-season debut.

Bryan Mbeumo moving centrally from his right-hand position was also a part of Zirkzee’s increased involvement down the left. In contrast to Zirkzee, who was forced to play center-forward in the first half, he was able to hold the ball up and win fouls more frequently.

Mbeumo won a free kick in his own half to give United a good start in the build-up to their opening goal, which gave them the opportunity to regain possession.

United won another free kick when the game resumed, and Zirkzee’s set-play from the left side of the box was excellent.

After Zirkzee moved to the left touchline and cleverly flicked the ball on for Dalot, who had moved in-field before being fouled, United won the first set-piece goal.