Ralf Rangnick spent most of the match standing at the edge of his technical area
Manchester United made a winning start to life under interim boss Ralf Rangnick thanks to Fred's 77th-minute winner.
A more energetic United display looked like going unrewarded against a dogged Crystal Palace outfit until Fred struck first-time from Mason Greenwood's lay-off to send a superb 20-yard effort curling over Vicente Guaita and into the top corner.
It was only Fred's second goal of the season - and the first time since the middle of September that United have recorded back-to-back league wins.
Until the Brazilian's effort, Rangnick's side created numerous decent chances, without really looking as though they were going to score and Guaita would probably have saved an Alex Telles free-kick that skimmed the bar had it been on target.
Indeed Palace, who were looking to win for a third successive season at Old Trafford, came close themselves when Jordan Ayew turned James Tomkins header across the face of goal and narrowly wide of the far post.
The victory meant that Rangnick emulated three of United's other four new managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 by winning his first match at the helm, with Louis van Gaal the only man to fail.
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Fred the enigma turns match-winner
Fred was one of the major focuses for criticism during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign as manager, which ended last month.
As Michael Carrick pointed out during his three-match spell as United's caretaker manager, the midfielder is a mainstay of a Brazil team that dominated World Cup qualification in South America.
Yet he has never given any indication, through either goalscoring or chance creation, that he is worthy of the £47m United paid for him.
He is industrious, though. And, judging by his little dance after the celebrations of his goal broke up, he is not without personality, which may be helpful to Rangnick over the coming months.
The German has not had a full training session with his players yet but there was certainly an intensity about United's early pressing, with Cristiano Ronaldo among those doing it on a couple of occasions.
It did harry Palace into a couple of mistakes - but then, as happened so many times under Solskjaer, before, the game settled down, the fire went out of the hosts and they started to rely more on crosses and individual moments to cause the visitors problems.
Marc Guehi managed to block a Ronaldo volley at close-range after the Portuguese had beaten the Palace offside trap and Tomkins headed a curling Fred shot away from danger.
Probably the hosts' best opportunity in the opening period fell to Bruno Fernandes, who didn't hit his shot cleanly but still forced a low full-length save out of Guaita after Ronaldo had set up the chance with an elaborate header.
United did not reach the same heights after the interval, although the introductions of Greenwood and Anthony Elanga at least kept them pushing forward until the decisive moment came.
Another defeat for Palace
Palace have now lost three Premier League games in a row for the first time under Patrick Vieira's management.
The Eagles are six points above the bottom three and clearly need to halt the slide before they end up in trouble.
Having achieved their previous victories in this stadium with 29% and 24% possession respectively, Palace actually did far better in this contest, with 39%.
But, other than Ayew's effort, an early Wilfried Zaha shot easily saved by David de Gea and a flurry of late set-pieces sent into the United box that were all cleared, Palace lacked conviction.
Zaha was a particular disappointment as he hardly got into the game, especially in the second-half when Cheikhou Kouyate and Conor Callagher carried a greater threat.
Manchester United's next match is against Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday, 8 December (20:00 GMT), and their next Premier League game is at Norwich on Saturday, 11 December (17:30 GMT).
Crystal Palace's next game is against Everton at Selhurst Park on Sunday, 12 December (16:30 GMT).
Player of the match
van de BeekDonny van de Beek
with an average of 7.15
- Man UtdManchester UnitedManchester UnitedCrystal PalaceCrystal PalaceCrystal Palace
Manchester UnitedAvgSquad number34Player namevan de BeekAverage rating
7.15
Squad number7Player nameCristiano RonaldoAverage rating
6.48
Squad number36Player nameElangaAverage rating
6.48
Squad number17Player nameFredAverage rating
6.46
Squad number25Player nameSanchoAverage rating
6.34
Squad number11Player nameGreenwoodAverage rating
6.17
Squad number18Player nameBruno FernandesAverage rating
6.02
Squad number1Player namede GeaAverage rating
5.97
Squad number27Player nameAlex TellesAverage rating
5.94
Squad number20Player nameDiogo DalotAverage rating
5.91
Squad number10Player nameRashfordAverage rating
5.91
Squad number39Player nameMcTominayAverage rating
5.74
Squad number2Player nameLindelöfAverage rating
5.68
Squad number5Player nameMaguireAverage rating
4.88
Crystal PalaceAvgSquad number23Player nameGallagherAverage rating
6.72
Squad number11Player nameZahaAverage rating
6.43
Squad number22Player nameÉdouardAverage rating
6.28
Squad number20Player nameBentekeAverage rating
6.22
Squad number13Player nameGuaitaAverage rating
6.20
Squad number6Player nameGuéhiAverage rating
6.19
Squad number3Player nameMitchellAverage rating
6.17
Squad number8Player nameKouyatéAverage rating
6.16
Squad number9Player nameJ AyewAverage rating
6.11
Squad number5Player nameTomkinsAverage rating
6.08
Squad number17Player nameClyneAverage rating
6.08
Squad number15Player nameSchluppAverage rating
6.07
Squad number10Player nameEzeAverage rating
5.56
Squad number7Player nameOliseAverage rating
5.53
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsMan Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
1de Gea20Dalot2Lindelöf5Maguire27Telles39McTominay17Fred25Sancho18Bruno Fernandes10Rashford7Cristiano Ronaldo
- 1de Gea20Dalot2LindelöfBooked at 90mins5Maguire27Telles39McTominayBooked at 81mins17Fred25SanchoSubstituted forGreenwoodat 62'minutes18Bruno FernandesSubstituted forvan de Beekat 86'minutes10RashfordSubstituted forElangaat 76'minutes7Cristiano Ronaldo
Substitutes
- 3Bailly4Jones8Mata11Greenwood26Henderson29Wan-Bissaka31Matic34van de Beek36Elanga
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-3-3
13Guaita17Clyne5Tomkins6Guéhi3Mitchell15Schlupp8Kouyaté23Gallagher9J Ayew20Benteke11Zaha
- 13Guaita17ClyneBooked at 31mins5Tomkins6GuéhiBooked at 67mins3Mitchell15Schlupp8KouyatéSubstituted forEzeat 84'minutes23Gallagher9J AyewSubstituted forOliseat 84'minutes20BentekeSubstituted forÉdouardat 67'minutes11Zaha
Substitutes
- 1Butland4Milivojevic7Olise10Eze12Hughes14Mateta22Édouard34Kelly44Riedewald
Referee:Craig PawsonMatch StatsHome TeamMan UtdAway TeamCrystal PalacePossessionHome61%Away39%ShotsHome16Away8Shots on TargetHome3Away2CornersHome9Away6FoulsHome16Away9Live TextPost update
Match ends, Manchester United 1, Crystal Palace 0.
90'+5'Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester United 1, Crystal Palace 0.
90'+4'Post update
Dangerous play by Anthony Elanga (Manchester United).
90'+4'Post update
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'+3'Post update
Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Donny van de Beek.
90'+3'Post update
Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by David de Gea.
90'+1'Booking
Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'+1'Post update
Foul by Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United).
90'+1'Post update
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the left wing.
89'Post update
Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
89'Post update
Foul by Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace).
88'Post update
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Vicente Guaita.
87'Post update
Donny van de Beek (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
87'Post update
Foul by James Tomkins (Crystal Palace).
86'Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Donny van de Beek replaces Bruno Fernandes.
85'Post update
Foul by Mason Greenwood (Manchester United).
85'Post update
Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
84'Substitution
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze replaces Cheikhou Kouyaté.
84'Substitution
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Michael Olise replaces Jordan Ayew.
81'Booking
Scott McTominay (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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