Crystal Palace head to Old Trafford today (March 1st) and face a Manchester United side who have been unstoppable under Michael Carrick. The Red Devils are firing on all cylinders, including Bryan Mbeumo, who has been superb since joining from Brentford for £71m last summer.
Mbeumo is United’s top goalscorer this season, with nine goals in 22 league games. The Cameroonian will need to be kept quiet if Palace are to take anything from the game.
There is a good chance Benjamin Sesko starts up top for Carrick’s side amid his impressive appearances off the bench. That would mean Mbeumo likely moves to the right wing, and if he does, he’ll come up against one of the most underrated full-backs in the Premier League.
Tyrick’s time to shine
Mbeumo has been used as a false nine by Carrick since he replaced Ruben Amorim in early January. The 26-year-old could lead the line against Palace, and even if he does, he often likes to move out wide.
Tyrick Mitchell will be tasked with trying to nullify the threat posed by the versatile forward. Oliver Glasner is likely to name the English wing-back in a back-five and he will be crucial.
The 26-year-old has fared well against similar direct attackers, including Bukayo Saka. His handling of the Arsenal right-winger in a 3-0 win over the Gunners back in April 2022 proves he is the man for the job.
Mitchell is quietly enjoying a fine season, albeit in an underperforming Eagles team. He’s appeared 27 times in the league, making 2.7 tackles per game and winning 3.8 (59%) of his ground duels, via Sofascore.
The potential battle between the English full-back and the Cameroonian forward might be the most important one-on-one matchup. If Mitchell keeps Mbeumo quiet, Glasner might be coming away from Old Trafford a happy man.
| Tyrick Mitchell (Premier League 2025-26) | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Appearances: | 27 |
| Goals: | 1 |
| Assists: | 1 |
| Interceptions: | 1.0 |
| Tackles per game: | 2.7 |
| Balls recovered per game: | 4.8 |
| Dribbled past per game: | 0.6 |
| Clearances per game: | 2.6 |
| Ground duels won: | 3.8 (59%) |
| Aerial duels won: | 0.6 (35%) |
One of Mbeumo’s main strengths is his movement, able to make clever runs in transition. It’s vital that this is stopped, as we’ve seen United use this to their advantage throughout the season.
FACT: Bryan Mbeumo scored two goals and provided one assist in eight games against Crystal Palace
In the reverse fixture, a 2-1 loss at Selhurst Park, Mbeumo was statistically the Red Devils’ worst-performing attacker. He started on the right of a front-three alongside Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount.
Earn a call from Tuchel
Mitchell has surprisingly earned only two caps for England, both in 2022. Former Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate didn’t seem to fancy the Palace star, even preferring an out-of-form Ben Chilwell and an injury-plagued Luke Shaw in the latter stages of his reign.
Thomas Tuchel has yet to give Mitchell a chance since he succeeded Southgate in January 2025. Tottenham Hotspur right-back Djed Spence has twice played in Tuchel’s team as a makeshift left-back.
If Mitchell wants to earn a last-minute call-up to the England squad for upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies, he needs to catch the eye in games like today’s. His national team face Uruguay on March 27th and Japan on March 31st.
The former Brentford man was branded “underappreciated” by Robbie Earle in December. Perhaps that’s because he is Palace’s Mr Consistent, very rarely putting in anything less than a 7/10 performance.
