HODGSON: THE PRESSURE IS ALL ON UNITED

ROY HODGSON has claimed Manchester United need to beat his Crystal Palace side today to be regarded as genuine title contenders.

Patrick van Aanholt scored a 93rd-minute winner at the start of last season to give the Eagles their first win at Old Trafford since 1989.

United finished the season third while Palace guaranteed an eighth successive season in the top flight in 14th place.

The former England boss said: “For us to go up there and get that result was something we’re rightly proud of.

“It was a really hard-fought game

“But it belongs to the past. I don’t live in the past. For me, it’s all about making certain the team is in the best possible shape to go up to Old Trafford and do our level best to get a result again, but we know it won’t be easy and we know we go there as underdogs.

“Because, quite frankly, Man United, if they’re going to be title contenders, are going to have to see off teams like ourselves.’

Van Aanholt and Gary Cahill, who made his Palace debut at Old

Trafford last season, are still on a lengthy Palace injury list, while Mamadou Sakho played for 30 minutes off the bench in the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Bournemouth. But Hodgson had no update on Wilf Zaha’s future.

The Ivory Coast winger (below, with Hodgson) scored the winner with his 50th league goal in the opening-day victory over Southampton.

Hodgson said: “He is fit, he is well and playing extremely well and looking forward to the game.”

Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl paid Palace the back-handed compliment of praising the streetwise way they protected the lead at Selhurst Park.

“It is part of football,” added Hodgson. “I thought we did extremely well doing lots of things which made their life difficult.

“And I would think managing the clock at the end of the game is probably the least important thing we did.”