We deserved to lose: Solskjaer
Wilfried Zaha scored twice against his former club as Crystal Palace condemned Manchester United 3-1 to a miserable start to their Premier League campaign with victory at Old Trafford.
After Andros Townsend squeezed a seventh-minute shot into the far corner from Jeffrey Schlupp’s cross, the hosts struggled badly but the game slipped away from them thanks to Zaha’s controversial 74thminute penalty.
Referee Martin Atkinson used the VAR TV monitor to decide Victor Lindelof had handled inside his own box. But, after David de Gea saved Jordan Ayew’s spot-kick, Atkinson ordered a retake because the Spain international had moved off his line. Zaha took responsibility for the second attempt and made no mistake.
On his debut, Donny van de Beek pulled one back 10 minutes from time but Zaha struck again against his former club to secure a deserved victory for Palace.
It was their biggest ever win at Old Trafford, the first time they have beaten United away from home in successive seasons and means Palace have won their opening two games of a top flight season for the first time in their history.
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson said both defensively and offensively they were good.
“We made certain and kept them playing in front of us and they could not profit from those spaces they are skilful enough to find,” he said.
“And when we had the ball I thought we looked very dangerous and threatening so I don’t think it was a big surprise that we scored three.”
For United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it was a horrible day. Too many of his players were off the pace, including Paul Pogba, who was replaced by Van de Beek midway through the second half. Solskjaer said they did not perform accordingly and Palace deserved the points.
“Today was a performance you don’t see very often from this group. We should look at ourselves in the mirror. Everyone knows we can perform better than this.”
Confirmed! Bale for Spurs
Tottenham have re-signed Wales forward Gareth Bale from Spanish champions Real Madrid on a season-long loan.
Bale, 31, left Spurs for a then world record £85m in 2013 and went on to score more than 100 goals and win four Champions Leagues with Real. “It’s nice to be back. It’s such a special club to me. It’s where I made my name,” said Bale.
“Hopefully, now I can get some match fitness, get under way and really help the team and, hopefully, win trophies.”
Spurs said Bale has signed for them with a knee injury sustained playing for Wales earlier this month and they “anticipate that he will be match fit after October’s international break”.
That would mean the forward missing their next five games, with the club’s first outing following the international break at home to West Ham on October 17.
Bale originally joined Tottenham as a 17-year-old from Southampton in 2007 for an initial payment of £5m.
“I always thought when I did leave that I would love to come back,” he added.
“I feel like it is a good fit.
It’s a good time for me. I’m hungry and motivated. I want to do well for the team and can’t wait to get started.”
At Real, Bale has also won two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, three Uefa Super Cups and three Club World Cups.
“I think by going to Madrid, winning trophies and going far with the national team I feel like I have that kind of winning mentality, how to win trophies,” he said.
“You don’t realise it until you’re there and in those situations, in finals, how to kind of deal with the situation, the nerves, the pressure, and I think that all goes with experience.
“Hopefully I can bring that to the dressing room, bring a bit more belief to everybody that we can win a trophy,.
“The target is to do that this season, to be fighting on every front possible. I want to bring that mentality here, back to Tottenham.”
Bale remains the most expensive British player in history, as well as the top-scoring British player in La Liga - with 80 goals and 40 assists in 171 league appearances, averaging a goal or assist every 104 minutes.
- BBC Sport/ Evening Standard
Feedback: