Man United momentum stalls in Palace stalemate
Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui (left) and Crystal Palace's Will Hughes battle for the ball Pic John Walton/PA Wire.
ERIK Ten Hag took the decision to drop Marcus Rashford to the bench despite the forward’s return to scoring form last week and then watched in frustration as his Manchester United side spurned a succession of good chances to inject momentum into their season with back-to-back league wins.
After scoring ten goals in their last two games, United’s goal touch eluded them. Ten Hag’s side should have been comfortably ahead before half-time but the manager ended the game having cause to be grateful for a superb double save by United keeper Andre Onana and referee David Coote’s decision not to reach for his red card following a poor second half challenge by Lisandro Martinez.
The United manager explained the omission of Rashford, who scored three goals last week, by pointing to the need to rotate his players and the need for Alejandro Garnacho to get more game time. The England forward did eventually appear just after the hour but was unable to improve on his teammates’ earlier efforts with Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes and Joshua Zirkzee all guilty of being wasteful in front of goal.
Garnacho was starting only his second league game of the season certainly looked like he had a point to prove, repeatedly threatening the home side from the left hand flank and he ought to have put United ahead in the tenth minute after being sent clear by Joshua Zirkzee’s pass. Dean Henderson saved well to deny the Argentina international, the first of a number of first half saves by the keeper that ensured Palace reached half-time on level terms.
Oliver Glasner’s team were overrun for much of the first half but United were unable to make the most of a succession of chances that came their way. Henderson saved well with his feet from Matthijs de Ligt’s downward header and then again when Martinez turned and shot from close range.
Ten Hag’s side didn’t help themselves with Garancho and Fernandes hitting the bar in quick succession and Zirkzee should have done better than head wide at the far post. And they may even have trailed at the interval had Eberechi Eze shown more conviction when presented with a good shooting opportunity.
Glasner made a double change at the break but after Eze and Ismaila Sarr created an early opening, the second period initially settled into a familiar pattern with Fernandes again guilty of spurning a good chance when he shot wide after exchanging passes with Zirkzee.
And after Martinez’s fortunate escape, it was Palace who created the better chances. The home side would have gone ahead just after the hour but for Onana’s superb double save before Eze somehow managed to place another good chance wide.
Henderson 9; Lacroix 7, Guehi 7, Richards 6; Munoz 7, Wharton 5 (Lerma 46, 6), Kamada 6, Mitchell 6; Nketiah 6 (Hughes 66, 6), Mateta 5 (Sarr 46, 6), Eze 5 (Schlupp 90, 6).
Turner, Ward, Schlupp, Clyne, Umeh-Chibueze, Agbinone.
Onana 8; Mazraoui 6, De Ligt 6, Martinez 5, Dalot 7; Eriksen 6 (Ugarte 76, 6), Mainoo 7; Amad 6 (Hojlund 76, 6), Fernandes 6, Garnacho 6; Zirkzee 5 (Rashford 61, 6).
Bayindir, Maguire, Mount, Casemiro, Antony, Evans.
David Coote 6
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