Crystal Palace 0 Man Utd 0: Red Devils rue wasted chances as former star comes back to haunt them in goalless draw
RASH decisions can cost you games, or even your job. Especially at Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag would have had no reason to regret his call to drop in-form Marcus Rashford if his team had made their first-half domination count.
And Rashford did little in his half an hour on the field to suggest he would have made much difference from the start.
But it still felt strange for Ten Hag to have talked up the former England striker’s improvement in on-field performance and off-field behaviour, only to leave him out.
And there was no avoiding the fact that this goalless draw was a step backwards for Rashord, his manager and the club at the end of an otherwise promising week.
United had scored 10 goals without reply in seeing off Southampton in the Premier League and bullying Barnsley in the League Cup, with Rashford finding the net three times across the two games..
Yet having threatened to do the same to Palace, they were arguably lucky to escape with a point after their hosts had two great second-half chances to record their third league win in a row against Ten Hag’s men.
For the opening 45 minutes, Oliver Glasner’s team were a shadow of the side that had completed a first league double over United for more than 50 years when they humbled them 4-0 at Selhurst Park in May.
Yet Andre Onana had a to make an excellent double stop to deny Eddie Nketiah and substitute Ismaila Sarr in the second half.
But the United goalkeeper should have had no chance when Sarr teed up Eberechi Eze, only for the England international to fire wide.
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Palace remain winless but will be encouraged by their second-half display after Dean Henderson, a former United stopper, had made decent saves in the opening period.
Yet Ten Hag could rightly complain that, Rashford or no Rashford, his side had the chances to win.
Man Utd ratings vs Crystal Palace as Andre Onana saves the day for wasteful Red Devils
MANCHESTER UNITED were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace as they missed a flurry of first-half chances.
Erik ten Hag shocked fans this afternoon when he left Marcus Rashford out of his starting XI.
And the Red Devils failed to make a breakthrough – dropping two more points.
Here, SunSport’s Jordan Davies delivers his Man Utd player ratings…
ANDRE ONANA – 8/10
Had one save to make just before half time – a comfortable one from Eberechi Eze.
And then, a worldie double save to keep out Eddie Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr, rivalling the one made by Arsenal’s David Raya in mid-week.
NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI – 7
One of United’s most consistent performers who continues to impress week by week. Strong in the tackle and great positioning to stop Palace counters.
MATTHIJS DE LIGT – 7
Lost an early duel with Jean-Philippe Mateta which put the Frenchman in but it was pulled back for a foul. Blamed his boots and changed them moments later.
Unlucky with a brilliant header from a corner that was somehow kept out by Dean Henderson and made a superb last-ditch tackle to stop Eze in the second half.
LISANDRO MARTINEZ – 6
Another player who came close to scoring but for the brilliance of Henderson, swivelling and turning in the six-yard box with a stabbed effort.
Lucky not to be sent off for a ridiculous two-footed lunge that narrowly avoided contact with Daichi Kamada.
DIOGO DALOT – 7
Played as a left winger for most of the first half, such was United’s dominance.
Brilliant pick out only for Garnacho to hit the crossbar.
KOBBIE MAINOO – 7
Covered ground well and linked defence with attack. Drifted forward more in the second half without seriously threatening.
An insane Cruyff piece of skill in the second half was worth the admission fee alone.
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN – 6
Kept things ticking over and picked some nice passes at times but his lack of pace and physicality was evident.
BRUNO FERNANDES – 7
Tenacious in ensuring Palace’s midfield could not get a foothold in the game and grazed the top of the bar with a volley into the ground just before the half hour mark.
Was United’s most creative player on the ball and should have had one goal to his name at least.
AMAD DIALLO – 6
Showed glimpses with some darting runs but never possessing the intent and aggression to force anything meaningful from it.
ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 7
Had a personal battle with Henderson, one that he ultimately lost.
Early chance to show it was the right call to start ahead of Marcus Rashford squandered – put through by Zirkzee but 1v1 effort palmed away by Henderson.
Smacked the bar in a similar position from Dalot’s through ball and came close to knocking one in from close range.
JOSHUA ZIRKZEE – 6
Linked up well with Garnacho, dropping deep and slipping the winger in that should have led to the opener. Headed wide from a Diallo corner just before the break.
Rightly subbed off on the hour mark as his influence waned.
SUBS:
MARCUS RASHFORD (ZIRKZEE, 61) – 6
Did very little to convince Erik Ten Hag to throw him back into the starting XI, but was barely given the service either.
MANUEL UGARTE (ERIKSEN, 76) – 6
United certainly appear calmer and more solid with him at the base of their midfield.
RASMUS HOJLUND (DIALLO, 76) – 6
Still getting minutes back into his legs after returning from injury, but this is one of his more forgettable cameos.
United looked determined to pick up where they had left off against Barnsley and to avoid the slow start of the previous weekend.
But Palace did not seem to have paid attention to others lessons of that match, particularly the slackness at set-pieces that had cost Southampton dear.
In the 10th minute, Joshua Zirkzee sent Garnacho clear but former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson made the first of three good saves in quick succession.
Matthijs De Ligt, having broken his United duck at St Mary’s after a corner, had already been given a free header from one Christian Eriksen delivery.
But the Dutchman was left all alone again as he met a similar back-post cross from the Dane, and Henderson kept out the header well with a leg.
After yet another dead ball, Lisandro Martinez picked up on Marc Guehi’s half-clearance and again Henderson came to the rescue.
Palace were curiously passive and passes were going regularly astray, much to the frustration of fans hoping to enjoy the late evening sunshine.
It felt like a goal was coming, and one nearly did. Garnacho hit the crossbar with a first-time shot from Diogo Dalot’s pass and Bruno Fernandes’ follow-up bounced up off the pitch and on to pretty much the same part of the goalframe.
Zirkzee was rightly disappointed in himself when he made first contact from an Eriksen corner but headed wide. Fernandes sent in a delicious cross but neither Zirkzee nor Garnacho could apply a chef’s kiss finish.
Until a minute before half time, the closest Palace came to doing United any harm was when Adam Wharton smacked a cross hard into Amad’s gonads.
Then Tyrick Mitchell cut the ball back perfectly for Eberechi Eze only for the England international to send his shot straight at Andre Onana.
Glasner took action, making a double change at half time to beef up his midfield and replace the ineffectual Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Almost immediately Eze burst clear from substitute Ismaila Sarr’s flick but De Ligt made a timely block.
A more even game ensued and Fernandes fired wide when well placed.
Glasner swung between throwing a drink down in his technical area in disgust and waving his arms in frantic encouragement as his side tried to give their fans something to enjoy.
United had lost impetus so Ten Hag summoned Rashford just after the hour, replacing Zirkzee up top.
Garnacho drew another decent stop from Henderson with a shot from distance.
If Martinez’s bizarre two-footed leaping challenge on Daichi Kamada had made any sort of contact, he would have be shown more than a yellow card.
Then Onana denied Palace an unlikely opener.
It wasn’t quite as heroic as David Raya’s double save for Arsenal after a penalty in Atalanta, but after keeping out Eddie Nketiah’s initial shot, the United ‘keeper did brilliantly to throw himself in the way of Sarr’s follow-up.
The visitors claimed a penalty for handball at the other end, but to no avail.
And then came Eze’s second great opportunity to punish United for their lack of cutting edge.
A return pass from Sarr teed him up perfectly, but the Palace No 10 failed even to hit the target.
Ten Hag sent on Manuel Ugarte and fit-again Rasmus Hojlund.
The changes meant Rashford taking up his third position of the game – from bench to centre forward to left wing.
You could say he made pretty much the same impact from each, so maybe Ten Hag was right.