Amorim hints at 'stealing' from likes of Arsenal after Crystal Palace win

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has admitted to copying set-piece tactics from some of their Premier League rivals, as goals from dead-ball situations helped them beat Crystal Palace  

Despite playing on the back foot for most of the fixture against the Eagles, Manchester United won 2-1 thanks to goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount, which came from Bruno Fernandes' free-kick deliveries. 

Manchester United’s frailty on set pieces was one of the major criticisms of the earlier days of Ruben Amorim's tenure. However, this season, they have shown significant improvement, especially offensively. 

Ahead of the Palace game, they tied Arsenal for most goals from set pieces (10), with Amorim noting that it was important to be adept at utilising dead-ball situations like the Gunners have been famed for. 

With the two goals at Selhurst Park, the Red Devils have now scored the most goals from set pieces in the Premier League. Speaking after the game, Amorim credited his side's efficacy on dead-ball situations to stealing the tactics of their rivals. 

“We have more time to work. We work a lot and we learn a lot in England. We are stealing a lot of things to score goals,” he said, per Goal.  "We need to understand the opponent was tired in the second half. When you increase the rhythm and the opponent suffers a goal right away a goal, we had control. 

“In the last 10 minutes of the first half, I felt the opponent was struggling, and they would struggle in the second half. We had that feeling that we needed to do something to change the way we were playing.

“We tried to change little things in the game. But the intensity and the quality in the way we connected, especially Zirkzee, was better, and that improves a lot the way we play.”