PALACE KILL OFF FEELGOOD FACTOR
The opening afternoon of the new season, when United thrashed Chelsea 4-0, already feels like a distant dream.
It has taken United just two more matches to remind suffering supporters of the glaring failures of last season that mark serious toil ahead.
Including last season, United have now won just three of their past 15 games in all competitions to compound the fact that an expected summer overhaul never materialised.
We are still in August, but already new signing Dan James is talking of “redemption” when United travel to Southampton on Saturday.
The winger admitted it will feel like a long week ahead as he said: “We want to redeem ourselves.
“This game is something that we’ll look back on and look at what we could have done better. But the Southampton game will be a completely different test and we’ve got to be ready.”
But putting nightmares like this one behind them is easier said than done. Crystal Palace came to town without a win or goal to their name this season – and had not triumphed at Old Trafford since 1989.
No one saw it coming, but United had only themselves to blame.
Poor defending allowed Jordan Ayew to fire Palace ahead before half-time when the United defence failed to deal with a simple hoof upfield from keeperVicente Guaita.
Things went from bad to worse for the home side.
Marcus Rashford – not the ineffective Paul Pogba – stepped up this time to miss a penalty after Luka Milivojevic had tripped Scott McTominay.
All look lost until the final minute of normal time when Rashford and Anthony Martial combined to set up James, who curled a delightful equaliser into the top corner for 1-1.
Home fans demanded another, in a hark back to the romantic times under Sir Alex Ferguson.There was one, but at the opposite end. Patrick van Aanholt drilled a shot through the grasp of David De with almost the last kick.
In the process, Van Aanholt became the first player to score a stoppage-time winner at United in the Premier League.
Just to rub more salt into United’s wounds, referee Paul Tierney denied them a clear penalty when Martin Kelly pulled down Martial, while VAR refused them another one when Rashford tumbled.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson says United might be vulnerable to more smash-and-grab raids.
He said: “They have to come to terms with the fact that teams in the lower half of the league, if they are organised and disciplined and if they put up the fight we did, will be hard to break down.
“And if they are lucky and can hurt them on the counterattack, that is what they have to prepare for at Old Trafford for a long part of the season.” Gea