C PALACE...2 MAN UTD...?
PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION Nemanja stoppage-time winner lifts Jose gloom
JOSE MOURINHO’S night went from grey to great last night as Manchester United produced a stunning fightback in south London.
The Manchester United boss had to sit and suffer as his stars performed dismally to allow Palace to go 2-0 up by the 48th minute.
But while they failed to shine, United don’t lack fight and three goals in the final 35 minutes, from Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic’s injury-minute stunner, turned the game on its head.
Despite not having beaten United in their previous 17 Premier League meetings, Roy Hodgson’s and injuryravaged side were really up for it last night.
And goals from Andros Townsend and Patrick van Aanholt rewarded them for their commitment.
But they were unable to see the job through and remain mired in the relegation fight.
Yet for most of the night United, like their grey kit, lacked vibrancy.
At least Mourinho resisted the temptation to change strips at half-time as Alex Ferguson famously did in 1996 when his team, also wearing grey, went in 3-0 down at Southampton.
Fergie said at the time his players couldn’t pick each other out and that was the case with United last night, particularly Paul Pogba. Poor Palace boss Hodgson had to face United with 10 of their top players injured, including ex-United winger Wilfried Zaha.
But they still went ahead in the 11th minute through a rare slice of luck.
Luka Milivojevic was allowed to run forward with the ball before Christian Benteke took over and cut across the face of goal.
He teed up Townsend, whose firsttime shot beat David de Gea thanks to a deflection off Victor Lindelof.
Glamour
It was the former England winger’s second goal of the season in his 30th appearance.
Forward Alexander Sorloth then left Smalling on his backside and evaded Lindelof to fire a shot at De Gea.
There was little sparkle in United’s play, with £89m Pobaa once again looking pedestrian.
An attempted glamour ball across the pitch went straight for a throw, rather than to Antonio Valencia.
He followed that up with one that flew off for a goalkick.
Next he fell theatrically in the box after a gentle touch from Aaron Wan Bissaka to jeers from the home fans. Lindelof ’s lousy night continued when he was booked for chopping down Van Aanholt.
Mourinho went for a shake-up at half-time and Marcus Rashford came on for Scott McTominay. But it was Palace who went further ahead in the 48th minute with a goal which infuriated Mourinho.
Nemanja Matic fouled Schlupp, who was up to take the free-kick in a flash and sent Van Aanholt clean through to smash the ball past De Gea.
United did at last lift themselves and in the 55th minute Smalling headed in Valencia’s chipped crossfield ball.
United could smell Palace were vulnerable and thought they had equalised when Matic shot low but Benteke cleared off the line.
Palace’s luck ran out 14 minutes from time when Alexis Sanchez’s shot was deflected and looped onto the bar. Lukaku gathered the rebound and waited for his moment to shoot home.
A point would still have been a good result for Palace but a minute into stoppage time Matic smashed home a stunning half-volley. CRYSTAL PALACE (4-2-3-1): Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Kelly, Tomkins, Van Aanholt; Milivojevic, McArthur; Townsend, Sorloth, Schlupp; Benteke. Subs: Cavalieri, Lee, Souare, Delaney, Rakip, Jach, Riedewald. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Young; Matic, Pogba; Lingard, McTominay, Sanchez; Lukaku. Subs: Pereira, Bailly, Mata, Carrick, Rashford, Shaw, Darmian. Referee: Neil Swarbrick.