With Marcus Rashford sat in Birmingham awaiting his medical at Aston Villa, and Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee sat on the bench, Ruben Amorim went in search of goals against Crystal Palace without his three recognised strikers. It was a bold plan and one that backfired as Palace maintained their excellent record against United with two goals from that most conventional of centre-forwards Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Palace have now won six of the last 12 Premier League meetings between the two clubs – including on four of their last six visits to Old Trafford – and picked up 16 points away from home since the start of December, more than any other top-flight club. For United, it’s seven defeats at Old Trafford in the Premier League this season and five in the last six here. It burst the bubble of optimism that had been growing after three consecutive wins in all competitions and a feeling that Amorim was starting to really get the measure of this job.

The head coach clearly wanted rid of Rashford after not playing him for 12 games]. As the hometown boy headed for pastures new, new signings Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven were paraded before kick-off here as it emerged that Amorim had left nearly £110million-worth of firepower on the bench. But the feelgood factor soon dissipated as a front line of Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo failed to click, and Amorim conceded failure by sending for Hojlund and Zirkzee after Mateta’s goal. It didn’t work as United failed to score against Palace for the fourth game in a row.

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice as Crystal Palace beat Manchester United 2-0. Worse still, they lost Lisandro Martinez towards the end of the game after he was carried off with what appeared a serious injury. Amorim made six changes to the team that won in the Europa League in Bucharest on Thursday night with Andre Onana regaining his place in goal and Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Diallo and Garnacho coming back into the line-up.

The most interesting aspect was the fact that he left his two recognised strikers, Hojlund and Zirkzee, on the bench. Hojlund had gone 12 consecutive league and cup appearances without a goal and Zirkzee 10. The big question was who would play a false nine in their absence, and Amorim gave nothing away in his comments before kick-off. ‘It’s more understanding the opponent and our team, what is missing in this moment,’ said the United boss. ‘Especially when you play system against system, it’s a game of tools. We will try to do different things to create more chances.’.

Could it be Bruno Fernandes again or perhaps Diallo? Turns out it was Mainoo who gave such an encouraging display in Bucharest, scoring one goal and making another after Amorim questioned his defensive capabilities in the 3-4-3 system. It was a bold plan and one that started promisingly when Fernandes sprayed a pass out to Noussair Mazraoui on the right and he slipped the ball inside for Mainoo. His cutback reached Garnacho whose first-time shot was blocked by Chris Richards.

Moments later, Diallo played in Mainoo who got the ball stuck under his feet as he shot and a rather scuffed effort got a nick off Maxence Lacroix as it beat former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson and clipped the outside of his right-hand post. That was the best of United’s 10 efforts on goal in the first half, though. Martinez’s volley was blocked by Richards after Lacroix had got his head to a corner, and United’s Argentine defender blasted over with just about the last kick of the first half.

It was Palace who actually created the better openings before the interval. In the 10th minute, Tyrick Mitchell swung over a cross from the right and Diogo Dalot was static as Daniel Munoz thundered in at the back post to plant a free header just wide. Onana palmed away a long-distance effort from Lacroix and then Ismaila Sarr diverted the ball inches wide in front of goal when Daichi Kamada’s cut-back gave Mitchell a chance to shoot.

United threatened after half-time when Diallo squared the ball for Fernandes to force a smart save from Henderson with his first-time shot from the edge of the box, and the keeper just about held on to Ugarte’s low volley from Maguire’s knockdown. There was a sense of anticipation when Oliver Glasner sent on Eberechi Eze just after the hour mark having indicated that his No.10 would miss this game with a foot injury, and the substitute helped make the breakthrough three minutes later.

Martinez conceded a free kick midway inside the United half for a foul on Sarr and Eze delivered towards the edge of the six-yard box. Yoro misjudged it slightly and that was enough for Lacroix to rise above him and guide a header over Onana. The ball hit the ball and fell kindly for Mateta in front of goal and he made no mistake from close-range. That was the cue for Amorim to make a change of his own, sending on Hojlund and Zirkzee in a double substitution for Mainoo and Mazraoui. It was an admission that his plan hadn’t worked.