Zaha the destroyer
Fresh despair for Ole as former United flop stuns Old Trafford
MANCHESTER UNITED’S close season from hell followed a trail of destruction and misadventure that took them from a jail in Mykonos to a hotel room in Reykjavik and a failed assignation in Dortmund.
If they hoped their first game of a new campaign would bring them sanctuary at home, they were sadly mistaken. The nightmare continued.
They may have been on the wrong end of an absurd handball decision at Old Trafford and a harsh directive that allowed their opponents to retake a missed penalty in a 3-1 defeat. But that should not disguise the facts that they looked ponderous in possession and that their defence looked scared stiff by the pace and skill of the Crystal Palace attacking trident of Wilf Zaha, Jordan Ayew and Andros Townsend.
The manner of their defeat will add to the growing disquiet about their lack of activity in the transfer market over the summer.
Donny van de Beek, their only signing so far, came off the bench in the second half to score United’s goal but, on the evidence of this performance, they desperately need more reinforcements, particularly at the back.
Van de Beek is a good signing but, taken alone, he will not be enough to get United closer to Liverpool and Manchester City.
Solskjaer sprang a minor surprise with his starting selection by picking Paul Pogba even though he has only just recovered from a bout of coronavirus and leaving Van de Beek on the bench. Mason Greenwood, too, was among the substitutes. Harry Maguire began his rehabilitation in the centre of defence. David de Gea was chosen ahead of Dean Henderson.
Palace had not scored away from home in the Premier League for seven hours and seven minutes before the game kicked off. Inevitably, it took them seven minutes to put that right.
United started sluggishly and Palace took advantage. Jeffrey Schlupp outstripped Victor Lindelof down the United right and crossed the ball to the back post. Luke Shaw was caught napping and Townsend stole in front of him to clip the ball past De Gea.
De Gea looked tentative with the ball at his feet and nearly put his side deeper into trouble on two occasions. United continued to look discomforted by the pace of Townsend and Zaha on the break. Their own build-ups looked laboured by comparison.
They did create some pressure. Scott McTominay curled a shot just wide. Pogba and Bruno Fernandes forced saves out of Vicente Guaita and United’s best chance game when the goalkeeper raced out of his area to hoof a through ball clear and only succeeded in slicing it into the air. Marcus Rashford waited for it to drop but as Guaita rushed to regain his ground, Joel Ward clambered all over Rashford to nod the ball clear.
In first-half injury time, the home side nearly went further behind. Zaha was the instigator once again, carrying the ball from the halfway line and running at Lindelof. He rode a couple of challenges and laid the ball out to Ayew, who cut inside and unleashed a fierce drive that was heading for the roof of the net until it was brilliantly pushed over by De Gea.
Palace started the second half brightly, too. Ayew should have played in Zaha rather than go it alone, Townsend’s shot was deflected over and, even though United dominated possession, Pogba and Maguire gave the ball away to allow Palace to set up fresh raids.
Despite that, United should have equalised after an hour. Greenwood had been brought on for Daniel James at half-time and when Timothy Fosu-Mensah curled in a fine cross, the England forward lost his marker and found himself with a free header at the back post. When he steered it wide, he looked disgusted with himself.
After Zaha had had a goal ruled out for offside midway through the half, Van de Beek was brought on in place of Pogba for his debut but almost immediately, Palace were awarded a penalty when Ayew tried to chip the ball over De Gea and it hit Lindelof on the arm. Referee Martin Atkinson allowed play to continue but then checked replays
on the pitchside monitor and awarded the kick.
The decision looked harsh. Ayew took the penalty. His run-up was languid and his kick lacked power or precision and it was saved low to his right by De Gea. It appeared justice had been done.
United celebrated but their relief was short-lived. Replays showed De Gea had moved marginally off his line before the kick was taken and so Palace were given a second chance. This time it was taken by Zaha and he rifled it into the roof of the net.
United pulled a goal back six minutes later when the ball ricocheted around the Palace area and Van de Beek sidefooted it home with assurance but Palace sealed their victory in the 85th minute when Zaha lashed a low shot past De Gea from 12 yards.
Solskjaer admitted: ‘You can see we are short and they 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.’
Palace boss Roy Hodgson said: ‘I thought that both defensively and offensively we were good.’
MAN UTD (4-3-3): De Gea; Fosu-Mensah (Ighalo 81), Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Pogba (Van de Beek 67), McTominay, Bruno Fernandes; Rashford, James (Greenwood 46), Martial. Subs (not used): Bailly, Fred, , Henderson, Wan Bissaka. Booked: Fosu-Mensah, Maguire. CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-1-1): Guaita; Ward, Kouyate, Sakho, Mitchell; Townsend, McArthur, McCarthy (Milivojevic 88), Schlupp (Eze 75); Zaha; Ayew (Batshuayi 81). Subs (not used): Meyer, Hennessey, Inniss, Kelly Booked: Ward.
Referee: Martin Atkinson.