Palace’s unwanted record of having never beaten Manchester United in a Premier League game continued, extending the run to 20 games. The loss also brought to an end a run of six unbeaten games in all competitions.
Former England boss Roy Hodgson has now lost 12 top-flight matches against United – more than he has against any other club.
The Eagles should have gone ahead when Andros Townsend clipped a shot over from close range, while Michy Batshuayi headed over and skipper Luka Milivojevic struck a free-kick wide.
Defender Ward pulled a goal back in the second half and the Englishman was imposing at the back too – his three tackles, three clearances and winning the ball back seven times could not be surpassed by a team-mate.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson said: “When we scored it was a result of the pressure we exerted.
“We made a few changes to try and get something from the game and, as so often happens against teams of this quality, they find a way of picking you off with a third goal.
“No doubt they’re playing very well. Their organisation and work-rate was good. They do have some very, very good players on top of that and they sometimes find a way to punish you, as Lukaku did.”