Manchester United hung on to secure a hard-fought victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's side sealing a 13th consecutive win at Old Trafford in all competitions despite having been reduced to ten men in the closing stages.

Following what was a rather serene opening 70 minutes or so for the Red Devils - have led courtesy of goals from the deadly duo of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford - a moment of madness from midfield colossus, Casemiro, ensured a nervy end to proceedings for the home side.

With the experienced Brazilian having been dismissed for seemingly grabbing Will Hughes by the throat amid what was a mass brawl between both sides, United were then forced to dig deep to thwart the visitors from capitalising on their man advantage, particularly after Jeffrey Schlupp had sparked hope of a comeback with a clever, improvised finish.

Despite an agonising finale following a lengthy stint of added time, there was to be no equaliser for the Eagles as the hosts held on to secure all three points, with Ten Hag's men marching on amid what is a relentless run of games across all fronts.

One notable standout performer on the day for the former Ajax boss was that of midfield machine, Fred, with the 29-year-old having been "particularly superb" in the centre of the park following his compatriot's early exit, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

While there may well have been a clamour pre-match to see January arrival Marcel Sabitzer come straight into the side from the start, Fred showcased just why he will be no mere pushover in the battle to fill Christian Eriksen's midfield void, having once again been a relentless presence in the centre of the park.

The all-action gem was at his tenacious best as he notably won six of his ten ground duels, including five tackles, against the south London outfit, having also been rather composed in possession after recording an 86% pass accuracy rate and laying on one key pass from his 63 touches.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk ace - who scored in the midweek victory over Nottingham Forest - also came close to adding to his tally for the season after guiding Wout Weghorst's pull-back narrowly wide of the post, having illustrated his ability to make an impact in both boxes for his side.

Having so often been a much-maligned figure at the Theatre of Dreams since his arrival in 2018 - notably being described as "not good enough" by club legend Roy Keane earlier this season - the 32-cap dynamo has more than proved his worth under Ten Hag of late, with yesterday's outing having been another indication of the vital role he can play moving forward.

With the likes of Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek all currently injured - and with Casemiro now suspended - the £120k-per-week "bargain", as recently lauded by writer Casey Evans, could well be a key figure for United over the coming weeks and months.