Manchester United's nightmare start to the season continued on Saturday as they suffered a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the English Premier League. Despite being the clear favorites going into the match, United's lackluster performance resulted in their second successive home loss and fourth defeat in just seven league games. The team, managed by Erik ten Hag, currently sits at the 10th position in the league table with a mere nine points, marking their worst start to a Premier League season after seven games in over three decades.
Palace, who had suffered a 3-0 defeat to United in the League Cup earlier in the week, seemed to have turned the tables on their opponents. Joachim Andersen's 25th-minute goal proved to be the decider for the London-based club. While Palace's victory might have been seen as an upset by some, it speaks volumes about United's dire start to the season that the loss didn't come as a surprise.
Last season, United had a relatively successful campaign, finishing third in the league and winning the League Cup. However, this season has brought forth talks of the club being in crisis. The defeat to Palace has only intensified these concerns, leaving United fans even more disheartened.
Meanwhile, in an unexpected turn of events, Manchester City, their local rivals and the defending champions, also faced defeat. City had started the season strongly, having won all of their league games up until this point. Thus, their clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers was expected to be another routine victory. However, Pep Guardiola's side suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat away from home, making it their second loss of the week after being knocked out of the League Cup by Newcastle.
Wolves took the lead with a Rúben Dias own goal in the 13th minute, leaving City trailing. Although Julian Álvarez's free-kick equalized the game in the second half, Hwang Hee-chan's goal sealed an unlikely victory for the underdogs. Guardiola, who was serving a one-match touchline ban and watched from the stands, admitted that Wolves deserved the win and highlighted City's struggles in dealing with transitions.
The rare occurrence of both Manchester teams suffering defeats on the same day adds to the excitement and unpredictability of the Premier League. With United losing at home to Palace and City faltering against Wolves, it seems that this season is full of surprises and no team can take any match for granted.