Ralf Rangnick said his Manchester United side performed "better than expected" as he began his reign as interim manager with a narrow victory over Crystal Palace.
A more energetic United display looked like going unrewarded against a dogged Crystal Palace outfit until midfielder 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 for the winner.
It was only Fred's second goal of the season - and it was 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.
"I am very happy with the way the team performed, especially the first half hour, with the pressing, it was exceptional," Rangnick told BBC Match of the Day. "The only thing missing was the 1-0 or 2-0.
"The way we defended, we had control of the whole game.
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