Palace find a clincher in Fergie-time to fuel that Old Trafford frustration
THIS was Palace’s first league victory over Manchester United, home or away, since the old First Division days in 1991 when Ian Wright was among the scorers.
During that time, they have tried and failed to stop greats like Cantona, Scholes, Ronaldo and Van Persie. Yesterday they came up against a United front four with an average age of 20 and their best two players, Paul Pogba and David de Gea, out of form.
Palace rode their luck a little, with Marcus Rashford missing the first penalty of his career and a couple of VAR decisions Ole Gunnar Solskjaer complained about.
But when a winning goal arrived after 92 minutes — aka Fergie-time — it wasn’t too surprising that it went to the visitors.
Left-back Patrick van Aanholt pounced on an error by Pogba to run from inside his own half, exchange passes with James McArthur and Wilfried Zaha and beat De Gea at his near post. Though the shot had power, the Spaniard will feel he should have done better for a goalkeeper of his stature.
To add to United’s embarrassment, Palace’s goals at Old Trafford were they first they had scored this season and they didn’t function at the other end of the pitch either.
Solskjaer’s men failed to register a single shot on target during the entire first half.
‘I don’t think we showed enough urgency and penetration until they scored,’ said the United boss. ‘I thought we put more pressure on them in the second half but you have to hit the target and score goals when you have those moments. We have to learn quickly.
‘We were unlucky though, I think. The foul on Anthony Martial (when Palace led 1-0) was a clear and obvious penalty, it is nailed on. I was surprised VAR didn’t give it. He wouldn’t slip if he didn’t have a 100-kilo centre-back on his shoulders.’
Palace boss Roy Hodgson, who left out Andros Townsend and Christian Benteke to make his side more resilient, said: ‘The key was our defensive discipline and the fact people stuck to the script at all times.
‘We knew if we didn’t seal the spaces they would score goals. Jordan Ayew, who scored the first goal, was very good. I was in no doubt I’d bring him back for this game. He also had a job to do denying Paul Pogba space to spray passes about.’
Palace took the lead after 32 minutes with a route-one goal put away by Ayew after keeper Vicente Guaita’s clearance was nodded on to him by Jeffrey Schlupp.
United had a chance to level after 69 minutes when Martial’s lay-off to Scott McTominay saw the Scottish midfielder clipped by Luka Milivojevic.
Rashford looked nervous in his run-up and smacked the inside of the right post before the ball bounced to safety.
United equalised on 89 minutes when Martial released Daniel James — who had also been denied a VAR-checked penalty — on the edge of the box. He cut inside and curled a beauty into Guiata’s top corner.
But Pogba gave away possession in injury time and van Aanholt capitalised to win it.