Saha provides the only highlight

Manchester United 2 Crystal Palace 0

The £12.8 million French forward, who labelled his last-minute miss against Manchester City on Sunday “a disgrace” provided the one moment of inspiration on an otherwise instantly forgettable night at Old Trafford as the Red Devils eased into the Carling Cup quarter-finals.

Saha watched intently as Quinton Fortune’s angled ball dropped towards the far edge of the six-yard box. The former Fulham man took it down on his chest with a sublime piece of control that took two Palace defenders out of the game. Then, he deftly rolled the ball forward and smashed a near post shot into the net.