Premier League: Man United drop valuable points at Crystal Palace
Manchester United missed the chance to move into second position in the Premier League table on Wednesday night, as they conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Bruno Fernandes’s first-half effort looked to have won the game for the Red Devils, who were bidding to make it 10 straight success in all competitions, including six in the Premier League.
However, Michael Olise netted a stoppage-time free kick in the English capital, with the result instead moving Man United into third, level on points with second-placed Manchester City, and eight behind leaders Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s contest between the two sides at the Emirates Stadium.
Palace, meanwhile, remain 12th in the table, boasting 23 points from their opening 19 games of the season.
Wout Weghorst made his debut for Man United as a starter, with the on-loan Burnley forward playing 69 minutes of the contest in the English capital.
An open first 10 minutes saw both teams enjoy possession in advanced areas; the only real half-chance during that period came for the visitors, with Marcus Rashford having a strike blocked by Marc Guehi after breaking down the left and then into the penalty box.
Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita spilled a cross from Fernandes in the ninth minute, with Weghorst in close proximity, but the Eagles just about managed to clear their lines.
Rashford then saw a close-range effort saved by Guaita, but the offside flag would have prevented the Englishman from scoring, had he managed to find the back of the net.
Luke Shaw, who was back on the left side of the defence, fired a half-volley just wide of the Palace post in the 16th minute before Antony looped one just past the goal in the 22nd minute, with the visitors looking the more dangerous at Selhurst Park.
Weghorst had a half-chance on the 30-minute mark when he met a cross from Shaw, but the striker’s header just dropped onto the roof of the Palace goal.
Fernandes was next to try his luck for the Red Devils, firing wide of the Palace goal in the 34th minute, before Antony curled one into the arms of Guaita three minutes later.
A free kick from Rashford landed wide of Guaita’s goal in the 39th minute, before Man United goalkeeper David de Gea made a stunning save down the other end to tip an effort from Odsonne Edouard onto the crossbar.
Man United took the lead just before the interval, though, when a clever pass from Christian Eriksen found Fernandes, who took a touch before smashing the ball past Guaita from inside the box.
Antony curled one over the Palace goal early in the second period, but the home side continued to ask questions, with Eberechi Eze firing over the crossbar just before the hour.
Alejandro Garnacho and Scott McTominay both came off the Man United bench in the 70th minute, with the debutant Weghorst and Antony leaving the field.
The Red Devils had a huge shout for a penalty in the 72nd minute when McTominay went down in the box under a challenge from Chris Richards, but the referee was happy for the play to continue and VAR agreed.
De Gea made a brilliant save to keep out a powerful header from Guehi in the 75th minute, before Jordan Ayew failed to make contact on a cross from Olise during a strong period of pressure from the hosts.
Casemiro was then booked in the 80th minute for a rash challenge on Zaha, which will rule the Brazil international out of the clash with Arsenal on Sunday.
The home side levelled the scores in second-half stoppage time courtesy of a stunning free kick from Olise, who found the back of the net off the crossbar.
Man United had a chance to win it from a corner late on, but Casemiro could not make proper contact when it looked easier to score, before Wan-Bissaka made a sensational sliding challenge to deny Zaha down the other end, as the points were shared in the English capital.
Man United will now head to table-topping Arsenal in their next match on Sunday, while Palace will be bidding to build on the result when they host Newcastle United on Saturday.
