Lack of attacking depth a 'worry' for Manchester United, says Danny Murphy as Red Devils take on Crystal Palace in Premier League
Updated 29/11/2025 at 10:25 GMT
Danny Murphy said Manchester United’s "lack of depth in attacking areas is a worry", labelling their performance in the 1-0 defeat against the 10 men of Everton at Old Trafford on Monday as "toothless". It was the first time this season that neither Benjamin Sesko nor Matheus Cunha started for Ruben Amorim's side. The Red Devils play Crystal Palace on Sunday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
‘No excuses’ – Amorim tells Man Utd they must play with 'urgency'
Video credit: SNTV
Danny Murphy believes Manchester United's "lack of depth in attacking areas is a worry", describing their display against Everton on Monday night as "toothless".
United were beaten 1-0 by The Toffees at Old Trafford, having played most of the match against 10 men following Idrissa Gueye’s red card for clashing with team-mate Michael Keane.
Ruben Amorim was without Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, with the pair missing through injury, meaning Bryan Mbeumo was the only one available out of the trio of attacking summer signings.
Speaking on talkSPORT and TNT Sports’ Friday Night Live, Murphy said these absences exposed a lack of back-ups in forward positions for The Red Devils, who play Crystal Palace on Sunday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The former Liverpool midfielder said: "When you watch United without Cunha and Sesko, they looked toothless again.
"Zirkzee didn't look up to it, it looked like he was lacking minutes, he didn't look that fit and sharp.
"So United basically need the front three available to be a threat, and Everton managed them quite well, to be honest. The lack of depth they've got in attacking areas is a worry for them."
The game against Everton marked the first time this season that neither Sesko nor Cunha started for United, and it was the first time since September that they failed to score.
Speaking on Friday, Amorim confirmed that the pair would once again be absent for the trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
United mustered 26 shots during Monday's defeat, but only six found the target, and it was just 11 minutes from time that Jordan Pickford was forced into a difficult save, keeping out a header from Zirkzee.
Mbeumo has been United's most prolific forward so far this season, scoring five goals in the Premier League.
But their next highest scorer in the league is defensive midfielder Casemiro, who has netted three times so far this term.
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In Monday’s loss, Mbeumo was accompanied in the front three by Zirkzee and Amad Diallo, who have just one league goal between them this season.
Having said that, Cunha and Sesko have not hit the ground running at Old Trafford, scoring just one and two goals respectively.
United head into this weekend's action in 10th, five places but just two points behind opponents Palace.
They will be hoping to put an end to a frustrating run of results in November, with 2-2 draws at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur before Monday's defeat to Everton.
When is Crystal Palace v Manchester United?
Crystal Palace will face Manchester United on Sunday, November 30 at Selhurst Park.
Kick-off is at 12:00 UK time, with live coverage on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and discovery+ starting from 11:00.
How to watch Crystal Palace v Manchester United?
Crystal Palace v Manchester United will be live on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and discovery+.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
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