Crystal Palace vs Manchester United. Premier League.
Selhurst ParkAttendance25,172.
Report and highlights as Manchester United failed to score past their academy graduate Dean Henderson, with Erik ten Hag electing to leave Marcus Rashford on the bench; Andre Onana produced an incredible double save to rival David Raya to help his side avoid defeat at Selhurst Park
Saturday 21 September 2024 20:58, UK
Manchester United were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace as Andre Onana and Dean Henderson's goalkeeping heroics kept the game goalless.
Onana denied Palace a second-half lead with an incredible double save to rival Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, keeping out Eddie Nketiah and then substitute Ismaila Sarr, producing the pick of the saves when his opposite number finished with seven.
Had it not been for Henderson, United would have been out of sight by the break. The former Carrington graduate produced three big stops in the first half, before tipping over Alejandro Garnacho's curling effort at full stretch moments before Onana's double save.
Bruno Fernandes and Garnacho also struck the bar in quick succession in a first half that United dominated. Eberechi Eze should have punished their wastefulness, spurning two glorious chances either side of the break. Palace remain winless in the league as a result.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner felt Lisandro Martinez should have been sent off for a stamp on the ball that narrowly missed Daichi Kamada's leg in the second half. "[Martinez] could have broken his leg," he said.
Erik ten Hag took the decision to leave Marcus Rashford out after he had scored in back-to-back games. The 26-year-old was unable to impact the game off the bench and the thinking around his omission will now, inevitably, be questioned.
United will ultimately see this as two points dropped and remain in the bottom half after managing just two wins from their opening five league games.
United defender Martinez rode his luck just past the hour, when he two-footed the top of the ball with a reckless, unnecessary challenge that Palace midfielder Kamada was lucky to avoid.
Martinez received a booking, but Palace felt strongly that he should have seen red, so much so that Henderson was yellow carded for his protestations.
Glasner was also surprised by the decision. "[Martinez] was fortunate that he touched the ball and not the shin of our player because he could have broken his leg."
"He's probably a bit lucky there," former United defender Phil Jones added in the Sky Sports studio.
"There's almost no need to go in with his two feet. And I think if he's a fraction out there, I think he's seen a different colour card."
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp added: "I don't know what on earth you're thinking you're going to gain by jumping in with two feet. On the edge of [their] box, you've got him in a nice position.
"If he lands on Kamada's foot, he goes down, it's a straight red."
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag speaking to Sky Sports: "When we don't win, I'm not content. We should have won. I think first half, we ate them alive. Then in the second half it was more in the balance, but first half, we should have scored one or two goals.
"I don't think [our finishing let us down]. We had total control of the game. In and out of possession, I think we played very good. The only thing was in the box, that is where the game is always decided. We should be more clinical there."
On the goalkeepers, he added: "It was a brilliant save from Andre Onana twice in one action, it was really brilliant. That is very difficult for a goalie to be there in the moment you needed.
"Dean Henderson also played a very good game, how many balls he stopped. He was in a rhythm, but Andre has to wait and keep the focus and in the right moment, you have to be spot on and he did brilliant."
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner speaking to Sky Sports: "In the first half Dean Henderson kept us alive and kept us in the game. At the end of the half we had the chance from Eberechi and then in the second half we were much, much better. In the first half we needed a great goalkeeper and fortunately we had one.
"In the second half we were more organised, we played with more courage and we had two great situations to win the game. In that second half it was more like a Crystal Palace team and that is what we need to be competitive against a team like Manchester United."
On the change in the second half, he added: "Everything [needed to change]. I have never seen my Crystal Palace team play like we did in the first half, with no energy, no confidence, both in and out of possession, in set-plays, etcetera.
"That shows again the spirit we have to make adjustments at half-time, switch to a 3-5-2 to close the centre, and then we controlled the game and had our chances in their box. Even when we won the ball we were more direct, played forward more in the second half."
The Palace goalkeeper told Sky Sports: "We missed a couple of key opportunities. There was one in the second half where maybe we could have scrambled it over the line. Andre made a great save and we were unlucky in the end. We'll take the point and we'll be delighted with it.
"We were attacking the game to win it. We had a game plan and they actually did really well. I don't think it quite worked in the first half. We made some tweaks in the second half, which were a bit more aggressive on the front foot. And obviously that's why we had a little bit more success second half.
"[Oliver Glasner] was obviously frustrated with the way we were playing, he felt like we were playing so cautious and he wanted us to take the safety cap off and go for it. On nights like this, you don't have anything to lose. You're the underdog and you've just got to take it on the front foot.
"The first half was disappointing from our point of view, we were a bit better second half, but there's more to come."
● Dean Henderson made seven saves against Manchester United; the most by a Crystal Palace goalkeeper in a Premier League match without conceding since Vicente Guaita v Newcastle in January 2023 (7).
● Crystal Palace haven't won any of their first five games in the Premier League this season (D3 L2), the fifth time they've failed to do so in a single campaign in the competition. The Eagles have been relegated on three of the previous four occasions when failing to win any of their first five (1992-93, 1994-95 and 2004-05).
● United have drawn 0-0 in a higher percentage of their games versus Crystal Palace than against any other opponent in the competition of teams they have faced more than 10 times (16% - 5/31).
● United have kept four clean sheets in their last six Premier League games, one more than they managed in their previous 24 matches beforehand (three between December 2023-May 2024).
● Bruno Fernandes has had more shots without scoring (17) than any other player across Europe's big five leagues in 2024-25, attempting a further four today without finding the net.
