Uninspiring United find no way through the London mist
Fourth draw in five league games ends hope of close title race as Solskjaer’s men drop further behind city rivals
CRYSTAL PALACE 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 0
JUST as Manchester United’s players could barely see each other through the thick Croydon fog, they can now barely see a distant Manchester City in the title race.
If Pep Guardiola’s side were not already over the hill and out of reach, they surely are now after United lost further ground with this flat and dispiriting draw.
United’s unbeaten run away from home in the league this season remains intact, yet all these draws count for little when it comes to the business end of a title race.
This was the fourth time in five league matches that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have claimed just a single point, and their lack of invention in attack here felt just as troubling as the gap that has opened up to City.
In a mood like this, Crystal Palace are among the most frustrating and uncomfortable of Premier League opponents.
Roy Hodgson’s side are lacking an attacking spark of their own at the minute but their defensive resilience is impossible to question. Wherever United turned, they were met by a blue-and-red wall.
Bickering
Long before the end, United’s players were bickering among themselves. The angst could be seen on the face of Harry Maguire, complaining about Marcus Rashford’s positioning, and on Rashford’s face when he bit back.
It was that sort of night, with Palace digging their fingers into all of United’s pressure points and posing plenty of attacking questions of their own.
United’s formidable away record would no doubt have preyed on Palace minds in their preparations for this fixture, although Hodgson could at least take hope from an enforced change at the heart of the visiting defence.
David De Gea was unavailable in goal because of personal reasons, meaning there was a third league start for Dean Henderson, the young Englishman with so much potential.
In truth, Palace’s recent form suggested there was little reason for Solskjaer to be overly concerned about his goalkeeping situation. In the ongoing absence of Wilfried Zaha, who has now missed the past five matches through a thigh injury, Palace have struggled horribly for a goal threat. They had not scored in 17 of their previous 22 league fixtures without their talisman and could not muster a single shot on target against relegation-threatened Fulham at the weekend.
It was to some surprise, then, that they started so forcefully, pressing high and forcing United back as the fog set in at Selhurst Park.
Henderson had to be alert as early as the fifth minute, when he held on to Andros Townsend’s free-kick, and the goalkeeper would have been beaten if Christian Benteke had hit the target with a powerful volley a few minutes later.
It said plenty about Palace’s ambition that, across the first 45 minutes, they produced as many shots as they had in their previous two matches.
United appeared a little taken aback at first, although they did start to dominate as expected as the game settled.
Nemanja Matic, Rashford and Mason Greenwood went close from the edge of the box, where Palace set up camp when United had the ball.
The clearest opportunity fell to Edinson Cavani, making his return from injury after three matches out of the side. The Uruguayan looked more than a little rusty when he prodded the ball over the bar from just a few yards out.
Most of United’s joy in these stages came down the left flank, where Luke Shaw was once again in a creative mood. The United left-back has been one of the standout performers in recent weeks and his connection with Rashford was United’s best source of opportunities in the first half.
Just as they did on the first whistle, Palace came out for the second half with genuine vigour and enthusiasm.
Benteke continued to be a nuisance in the United box, and Jordan Ayew soon flashed a shot at Henderson.
For United it was once again too stodgy, too slow.
As he was against Chelsea on Sunday, Bruno Fernandes was unusually quiet. Does he need a break? Unfortunately his team-mates need him, and without him pulling the strings they looked short of ideas again.
It was to some surprise, then, that they started so forcefully, forcing United back
For most of the second half United were reduced to playing aimless crosses, simply hoping that one might fall to a black-and-white shirt rather than a Palace head.
Gary Cahill was typically dominant in such situations, though, and United had to be more subtle in their approach.
If anything United were getting worse as the match progressed, growing increasingly irritated by the Palace defence.
And the home side so nearly claimed all three points at the end, when a flowing move resulted in Patrick van Aanholt charging through on Henderson. The United goalkeeper stood firm to secure a point that was nowhere near enough for the visitors. (© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021)