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Mason Mount puffed out his cheeks, took a two-step run-up before dropping a dime of a corner right onto the head of an onrushing Casemiro.
As team-mates swarmed towards the Brazilian – his fourth goal this season making it 2-0 and taking the game away from a poor Palace side – Mount threw both arms up, took one look to the sky before turning to the fans to let rip with a fist pump.
With the No 7 on his back it was hard not to draw comparisons to his predecessors in that jersey. The delivery was Beckham-esque in its whip and accuracy and while it would be unfair on Mount to draw any further comparisons in a shirt worn by club legends like George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo, this was to be his breakout moment at Manchester United.
Perhaps Ten Hag already had one eye on a reunion with Palace here on Saturday. On this evidence, in which Mount ran the show in a more expansive No 8 role to the one he was tasked with against Wolves and Tottenham, the Englishman has to start. He can be the game-changer this midfield has been crying out for.
Mason Mount showed he can be a game changer for Manchester United on Tuesday night
Ten Hag made no secret in the summer of his delight at landing Mount, his priority midfield target. Other clubs wanted him, Liverpool among those who held interest, but Ten Hag was relentless in pursuit.
‘I’m sure he will bring dynamism into our game and that was one of our analysis conclusions we made after last season,’ Ten Hag explained. ‘We need [to be] more dynamic in the midfield department.’
And so it made it all the more puzzling when Mount was tasked with a deeper role in a double-pivot alongside Casemiro for the opening two games.
Both times United lost the midfield battle. Both times Mount’s influence felt minimal to none.
‘Anonymous,’ critiqued Gary Neville on Sky.
Injury sidelined Mount for five weeks and perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. Out of the firing line in a side that was spluttering on all fronts, both Mount and Ten Hag had time to reflect on the potential formula for success for him.
Ultimately, it wasn’t going to be in a double pivot, and it was noticeable from the start here that it was Mount and youngster Hannibal Mejbri starting as advanced No 8s with Casemiro holding, backed up by Sofyan Amrabat, who was more than happy to invert inside from left back.
Midfielder took centre stage in a display full of creativity and energy against Crystal Palace
‘[It is] the perfect game [for him to return],’ Ten Hag said beforehand. ‘So he’s returning from an injury. He played two games this season and now he has a restart.’
What followed was some of the most high-energy, intense pressing from a midfield three United have seen all season.
Whether or not midfield problems are now in United’s rear-view mirror it’s far too soon to say, but here were three players, plus the long-established Casemiro, showing that ponderous build-up and a lack of ideas through the middle don’t have to stick around for long. This was a display full of dynamism, full of ideas, full of creativity and full of energy.
Mejbri has the battery of a Duracell bunny, although needs to reign in his tenacity a touch to avoid picking up too many cheap bookings which will always take some of the edge off him thereafter. He was walking a tightrope after clipping Jordan Ayew early on.
Amrabat spent the first 45 in an inverted left back role before switching to a more natural defensive midfield for the first 15 minutes of the second half. In that first 45 alone the Moroccan win all four of his ground duels, had 72 touches, had a 97 per cent pass accuracy and won two fouls.
‘Warrior’ was the word Ten Hag used to describe him. Commentators and pundits in the press box waxed lyrical about his tactical awareness and the physicality he can bring to add a bit more bite.
But this was a night about Mount.
‘I’m ready,’ he wrote on Instagram in the build-up. He wasn’t kidding.
Mount’s Beckham-esque corner was headed home by Casemiro in the first-half
His night started with a clever back heel to set Casemiro free on a move. Nothing came of it but the speed of thought and zip to the flick was too much for Palace to process in real time.
Mount continued to float into pockets of space, always with purpose, and constantly showed for the ball. A neat one-two on the edge of the box almost gave Facundo Pellistri a golden opportunity to score, only for Chris Richards’ lunging leg to beat the Uruguayan to the ball.
Not to bother, off Mount trotted to the corner where he clipped onto the head of Casemiro for his first goal involvement in a United shirt.
No player created more in the first half than Mount’s three chances and if this was a flavour of what’s to come, Manchester United fans sure like the taste.
