Manchester United centre-back Leny Yoro had a first half to forget against Crystal Palace, committing a clumsy foul inside the box to help give the hosts the lead at Selhurst Park.
Ruben Amorim’s side found themselves under intense scrutiny and in desperate need of a morale-boosting performance after being booed off the pitch in a dismal 1-0 defeat at home to ten-man Everton last time out.
But it was Palace that started the better of the two teams in Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off, attacking in waves to pile the pressure on their visitors in the opening 45 minutes in the capital.
Jean-Philippe Mateta wasted a golden opportunity to put the home team in front midway through the first half, holding off Yoro before pulling his shot wide of Senne Lammens’ goal by a distance.
However, Mateta was given the chance to redeem himself after Yoro clattered into the back of the Palace centre-forward on the edge of the box in the 36th minute, sending his fellow countryman crashing to the turf.
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There were some anxious moments for Oliver Glasner’s men after Mateta was adjudged to have touched his initial spot-kick twice before finding the net. But the striker held his nerve to send Lammens the wrong way second time around to send Palace’s home support into raptures.
During TNT Sports’ coverage of the game, co-commentator Ally McCoist praised the vision and execution Adam Wharton showcased in finding Mateta with an exquisite through ball.
However, the ex-Rangers and Scotland forward went on to highlight Yoro’s ‘naive’ defending at what a crucial stage in the match.
‘What a ball from Adam Wharton and it’s not the first time either,’ McCoist said.
‘He’s one of the best midfielders at playing a first-time pass forward, he really is. It’s just brilliant.
‘The tackle is naive but it’s brilliant from Wharton. If you’re a forward and you know the ball is going to get fired in, he just plays it, it’s a tremendous pass.’
McCoist added: ‘It’s just naive defending. You’ve got to let him go.’
‘You can’t make that challenge there! You can’t do it. He’s going on to De Ligt, you must let him go and try and get back in goal-side maybe.
‘Does he slip? He might slip but there’s no need at all to make that challenge.’
At the half-time break, TNT Sports pundits Joe Cole and Peter Crouch echoed McCoist’s remarks about Yoro, accusing the young Frenchman of ‘clumsy’ defending.
‘It’s just so clumsy,’ ex-Chelsea and England winger Cole said.
‘He’s got the wrong side of him. You’ve got to sort your feet out, he’s tripped over his own feet.
‘It’s really clumsy and he needs to learn that, in the Premier League, you’ll get punished.’
Former England and Liverpool striker Crouch added: ‘It’s so frustrating from Yoro.’
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