by Manchester United created a lot of chances and gave away great chances. In a lopsided boys’ competition, it ended in a draw.
United’s only similarity to their rout at Selhurst Park in May was that they didn’t score. United built structured and quick attacks, threatened from set pieces and eroded the goal frame.
They rarely hugged the ball for 70 percent and contributed to creating high chances. United were even guilty of overplaying him – a crime leveled at times by the other Manchester club.
Not for the first time, the issue was a chance conversion. The irony is that United fell behind when Joshua Zirkzee was sacked without a striker. By the time Erik ten Hag tried to rectify it by introducing official number nine, Rasmus Hojlund, United had gone flat.
READ MORE: United vs Palace ratings
READ MORE: Palace vs United as it happened
Hojlund won a header in the 90th minute that a teammate failed to anticipate. Ten Witches raised their hands in frustration.
Zirkzee, who has one goal in seven appearances, is clearly not a reliable goalscorer but still, he allowed United to play around him and his wings to get into the space he left. United were sharper with the bald Dutchman on the pitch.
After two wins by an aggregate score of 10-0, this was always going to be a more reliable measure of United’s progress early in the season. Palace are still winless in the Premier League but had the best chances to win it.
“We are Man United and we will never stop,” sang those in the end in the 85th minute. But Palace stopped United, now without a win at Selhurst in five.
As busy as Dean Henderson was, the save of the night and perhaps the season so far was Andre Onana’s excellent denial of Ismaila Sarr. The Palace supporters were so determined to get the ball into the net that they were on their feet. Diogo Dalot was the first to accept his teammate for the reactive stop. That was all United had to celebrate.
Ten Hag seemed sanguine at full-time and there was applause from the sidelines when the players went over. Both sides may have the final score. In the end, United only recorded two more attempts on target than Palace.
Because of United’s problem, Ten Hag ordered Rashford and Mason Mount to warm up barely five minutes into the second half. They were soon joined by Manuel Ugarte, Antony and Hojlund. United assembled a bench at a cost of more than £400 million – not including the value of Rashford.
There wasn’t an hour on the clock and Rashford was called. Ten Hag cited rotation behind Rashford’s relegation to the bench after consecutive starts and the need to start Alejandro Garnacho, a goalless threat.
Heading towards his 2,687 fans in the Arthur Wait Stand, Rashford was immediately serenaded. Next up were Hojlund and Ugarte, a talent worth £122m, at the cavalry. None of them could lead another assault charge.
There were only five survivors from the side that humbled Palace on that Monday in May. Christian Eriksen, upgraded from redundant to starter last week, showed why he was starting again.
The Palace was hit with its two floating corners. Matthijs de Ligt failed to convert and the Dane combined with Diogo Dalot by going out to the left, collaborating with Garnacho as Dalot strode into midfield.
Henderson recorded four saves in the first 15 minutes alone and was reduced to celebrating a corner. United hit the woodwork twice before the 30 minute mark.
Zirkzee’s approach to play at Southampton was exciting and impressive again when he played Garnacho through for a duel with the former United keeper. Zirkzee retreated the next time he got the ball, wasting a wider opening which Fernandes had a great deal of.
Rashford was joined by the broadcasters, as if Garnacho wasn’t United’s top scorer. Rashford, an academy teammate of Henderson’s, would have additional information to draw on.
When Jean-Philippe Mateta briefly blindsided Lisandro Martinez, he was assisted. Palace coach Oliver Glasner appeared stumped in the dugout and did an angry piouette. The palace denizens sounded increasingly irked.
On the 30-minute mark, Ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy urged Amad to compose himself after an overzealous, hesitant foul had given Palace a way into a game they were not happy with. Garnacho didn’t get the message and cynically succumbed to a booking-worthy foul, booing a crowd that looked like mutineers for parts of the half.
Van Nistelrooy was preaching calm again as he came on at half-time. For all United’s dominance, the best chance of the half fell to Eberechi Eze unmarked. The whistle at half-time drew enthusiastic applause from the Eagles who had little to do. Eze had a louder opening in the second half.
United avoided the bust.
