OLE SO FRUSTRATED AS UNITED CHOKE IN THE FOG
The clock ticked on towards five hours without a goal for Manchester United and the mist descended upon Selhurst Park to deliver the graveyard gloom as more points disappeared.
Was this the bitter end of their title challenge? In truth, Manchester City were virtually out of sight anyway but here was another night of frustration for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
After Real Sociedad and Chelsea, here against Crystal Palace was United’s third goalless draw in a row, albeit radically different to the featureless contest at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
There was no shortage of incident among the swirling mists of south London, with thrills and spills all the way through to the 90th minute when Patrick van Aanholt broke clear and almost won it. Dean henderson, making his first Premier League appearance for nearly three months, was alert to the danger, narrowed the angle and denied Van Aanholt.
With it, he denied Palace their first ever league double over United although Roy hodgson was pleased to add another point to the survival fund.
One point was also enough to keep Solskjaer’s team in second place but they trail City by 14 points with only 11 to play, starting with the Manchester derby at the etihad Stadium on Sunday.
They can point to progress and improvement — 10 points better off than at this stage last season — and their long unbeaten run away from home in the Premier League goes on.
It is now 21 games without defeat on the road but the title challenge has not materialised as it briefly threatened to do and the unbeaten away record will meet Manchester City’s 21 straight wins.
United are running out of goals. Perhaps they were running out of ideas. Some of their creative forces, so strong early in the season, might be running low on power. Among them Marcus Rashford, who squandered their best chance, and Bruno Fernandes who again struggled to find his fluency. henderson deputised impressively for David de Gea, whose absence was down to personal reasons, according to Solskjaer, who was also without Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial because of a knock the striker picked up training on Monday.
edinson Cavani returned from a muscle injury to lead the line but it was Palace, still without the injured Wilfried Zaha, who made the more positive start.
henderson’s goal came under early pressure and his handling was impeccable. The stand-in keeper gathered a teasing freekick from Andros Townsend and pulled a high corner out of the air.
Christian Benteke skied a volley before Solskjaer’s side responded with a flurry of attacks at a breathless tempo. Vicente Guaita took off to his left to make a fabulous save as a fierce drive by Nemanja Matic clipped James McCarthy and swerved towards the top corner.
From the corner kick, harry Maguire headed down into a crowd and Cavani stabbed at the bouncing ball with a boot and flicked it over. Then came the Rashford chance: he had time but cut his shot just wide when he ought to have hit the target from 10 yards.
hodgson’s Palace can be relied upon to defend with spirit and organisation and are always harder to break down when Gary Cahill is at the heart of the back four.
They scrapped and threw bodies in the line of fire when required. Cheikhou Kouyate closed down Mason Greenwood on the edge of the penalty area and deflected another effort wide, and Joel Ward slid back towards his own goal to intercept a fine low cross, delivered by Aaron Wan Bissaka and destined for Cavani. Palace always offered a threat on the break, especially when getting the ball wide to eberechi eze in space. eze is a beautiful sight when he runs with the ball, gliding effortlessly past opponents, and is growing in confidence at this level.
Benteke sprang into another ambitious volley, early in the second half. This time, he went for an acrobatic scissor-kick. his aim was better but the route to goal was blocked by a cluster of defenders.
henderson held a crisp strike by Jordan Ayew and Townsend volleyed wide after Luka Milivojevic crashed a free-kick into the wall. Solskjaer threw on Scott McTominay and Dan James, who went close. Greenwood fizzed a longrange effort that flashed over but it was Palace who almost snatched the point when Van Aanholt went through on goal.
henderson was alert to the danger and made the save at his near post. There would be no breakthrough. Goalless, goalless Man United. Again.
They might be tempted to sign up for the same result at City but they need more. They need to find a way to win again.