Crystal Palace held Manchester United to a goalless draw this afternoon to record their first ever Premier League point from a visit to Old Trafford.
It could have been even better for the Eagles, had Patrick van Aanholt not spurned the best chance of the game at the end of a Palace counter on 26 minutes.
Both teams saw goals disallowed either side of half time, with Cheikhou Kouyate penalised for offside as Victor Lindelof headed into his own net, and Romelu Lukaku flagged when tapping home the rebound of a Jesse Lingard shot.
Andros Townsend might have won it for Palace had he kept his composure at the end of an adventourous solo run, while Lukaku's header saved by Wayne Hennessey was the closest that United came to pinching all of the points.
Relive how the action unfolded in Manchester with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
While international breaks bring England fans a little more enjoyment these days, there is nothing quite like the Premier League which returns this weekend with a bumper Saturday afternoon programme. Here we are bringing you every kick from Old Trafford as Manchester United host Crystal Palace.
MAN UNITED: De Gea; Darmian, Lindelof, Smalling, Young; Matic, Pogba, Mata; Martial, Lingard, Lukaku
Subs: Grant, Jones, Valencia, Fellaini, Fred, Sanchez, Rashford
Subs: Grant, Jones, Valencia, Fellaini, Fred, Sanchez, Rashford
PALACE: Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt; Milivojevic, McArthur, Kouyate; Meyer, Townsend, Zaha
Subs: Guaita, Kelly, Ward, Schlupp, Puncheon, Sorloth, Ayew
Subs: Guaita, Kelly, Ward, Schlupp, Puncheon, Sorloth, Ayew
Manchester United have Paul Pogba back in midfield after the Frenchman missed the conclusive derby defeat to Manchester City a fortnight ago. Jose Mourinho makes four changes in total with Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku recalled and Matteo Darmian given his first start since the opening day.
Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini drop out of a midfield which had circles ran around them by Pep Guardiola's boys at the Etihad Stadium. The Spaniard doesn't even make the bench but Fellaini is a useful option for Mourinho to have in reserve, as well as Marcus Rashford and Alexis Sanchez.
Anthony Martial is passed fit following concerns over an adductor injury, and is joined by Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard in support of Romelu Lukaku, who has not scored in the Premier League since September but has scored in six of his past eight top-flight appearances against Crystal Palace.
Suspension stalls Luke Shaw's best ever run in the United team, with Darmian brought in from the cold to deputise at full-back. The Italian has not featured for the Red Devils in any competition since August 10th but is preferred to Club Captain Antonio Valencia who has fallen badly out of favour.
Roy Hodgson will be relieved to have his talisman back after Wilfried Zaha sat out the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur - Palace have not won a Premier League game in which the Ivorian has not played since September 2016. Jordan Ayew drops out in the only change from that London derby.
Another boost for the Eagles this afternoon is that James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho are both fit to resume their centre-back partnership. Tomkins limped off an hour into the loss to Spurs while Sakho has overcome a back injury sustained playing for France on his international return during the week.
The Eagles are still without the injured Christian Benteke, who has only three goals in his last 35 previous Premier League appearances and still finds his stock rising during his absence, with Palace struggling badly in front of goal. Their eight goals scored this season is fewer only than Huddersfield Town.
Mourinho's side find themselves 12 points adrift of Man City following their defeat to the league leaders, and perhaps even more concerningly they are already seven points adrift of the top four. However, the Portuguese is confident that his team can overhaul that sizeable gap in the coming months...
Jose told BBC Sport: "I know it's a big gap but I also know, until the end of December, if I'm not wrong, we have eight Premier League matches to play. "Twenty-four points for us to fight (for), 24 points for the other ones that are in the top four to fight (for) too, but I believe we are going to be there."
The result against the Citizens was met with huge disappointment from the United faithful, with the action highlighting the gulf in class between the two sides, but United had previously gone on a three-game winning run in all competitions, knocking off the likes of Everton and Juventus in the process.
The Red Devils have only kept one clean sheet in the Premier League this season - in their 2-0 win at Burnley in September. Failure to keep a clean sheet again today against Palace would see United equal an unwanted Premier League club record of conceding for a ninth successive top-flight outing.
Addressing defensive concerns may be a new challenge to Mourinho whose teams have traditionally been incredibly organised. However, United have conceded 21 Premier League goals so far this season, the most by the club after 12 fixtures of a top-flight campaign since way back in 1966-67.
United have trailed for a total of 395 minutes in the league this term - only the current bottom three clubs have been behind for longer. It has taken them falling behind for them to produce their best performances this season, in the victories over Newcastle United and Bournemouth for example.
Martial could become just the fourth player to score in six successive Premier League matches for United, emulating Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who managed to string together a run of that kind on three separate occasions including a once-league record 10-game streak.
It appeared prior to this upturn of form that Martial was heading for the same Old Trafford exit door that was once showed to Zaha. The 26-year-old only made four appearances in his forgetful spell at United, who paid £15m for him in 2013. He'd be worth three times that much after rediscovering his mojo.
Zaha has yet to directly prove United wrong in letting him go without giving him a chance, failing to score or provide an assist in any of his five Premier League appearances against his former club.
The Eagles have failed to score in a joint league-high six matches this season, and surprisingly their struggles in front of goal have been at Selhurst Park, which has become a fortress in recent times. The only open-play goals they have scored at home were the two penalties against Arsenal last month.
Both of Palace's two league wins this campaign have been in away fixtures, and both against opponents who are currently in the relegation zone. They have not tasted victory since a 1-0 success over Huddersfield in September, going seven games in all competitions without victory, losing six of them.
However, Hodgson's boys have had a difficult run of fixtures of late with consecutive London derbies against Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, against all of whom they gave a good account of themselves. Roy will be glad to see the back of the Premier League elite after today's trip to Old Trafford.
Palace have lost 11 successive league matches at Old Trafford, with their last win coming in December 1989. However, the Eagles did win a League Cup tie away to United in November 2011. Glenn Murray was Palace's extra-time hero that day, with Zaha and Chris Smalling the only survivors from either side.
Based on that record, anything from the Theatre of Dreams this afternoon would be a bonus for the visitors. Hodgson will be hoping that his side may be able to nick something, or at least put in another good display to take into their upcoming games against Burnley, Brighton, West Ham and Leicester.
HEAD TO HEAD: The Red Devils are unbeaten in 20 league meetings since a 3-0 away loss in May 1991 in the final year before the Premier League. In fact, United have never lost in 18 Premier League matches versus Palace, which is a competition record for a team against a single opponent.
Around 10 minutes until kickoff at Old Trafford, which is one of six 3pm Premier League kickoffs this afternoon. You can also follow live coverage from the Olympic Stadium where West Ham are hosting Man City, and also Vicarage Road where Liverpool are the visitors to Javi Gracia's Watford.
If Palace fans are looking for a straw to clutch onto, here we go. Jose Mourinho has only lost one of his 51 Premier League home games kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday - that was against the Eagles!
Mourinho's team selection today gives United lots of options in terms of attacking shape. Pogba could sit in a holding two alongside Matic, with Lingard as the No.10 and Mata and Martial out wide. Or, Mata could start from a deeper central role to offer some midfield creativity that has been badly lacking.
Lots of Fantasy Premier League managers have invested in Martial today. Can he keep his scoring streak going?
SCOUT: Transferred in by nearly 300,000 for GW13, Martial (£7.6m) starts in #MUNCRY
He has six goals in his last five appearances#FPL pic.twitter.com/JudxZjHd6X — Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) November 24, 2018
PREDICTION: Palace have a horrid record at Old Trafford and I expect that will continue today. They are struggling to score goals and United have enough attacking talent - both in their starting lineup and on the bench - to make this a comfortable afternoon. I'll go for a 2-0 home win.
KICKOFF: The action is underway at Old Trafford where Lee Mason is our referee this afternoon...
United knock an early long ball up to Lukaku who does really well to chest it down for Lingard. The England international runs onto a shot from 25 yards out but Tomkins slides in to make a block.
Palace are slow to get out and that allows Martial to run through onside onto Matic's ball over the top. The Frenchman can't quite bring it under control before Wan-Bissaka and Hennessey pounce to prevent him from getting a shot away.
It has been all United in the opening stages here. Mata has started on the right with Lingard playing closest to Lukaku. Further back, Darmian has also started on the right with Ashley Young switching to the left side of the defence.
YELLOW CARD! Lingard bursts through the middle and Milivojevic chooses not to take any chances, cynically bringing him down on the halfway line and picking up a deserved booking. That all started with good hold-up play from Lukaku.
Lingard bursts through the middle and Milivojevic chooses not to take any chances, cynically bringing him down on the halfway line and picking up a deserved booking. That all started with good hold-up play from Lukaku.
Palace's first promising attack comes to a halt with Darmian tackling Andros Townsend in the right-back corner. Darmian nearly gifts the visitors the ball back with a slip but Smalling is alert enough to clear the danger.
LATEST: We have our first goal of the afternoon - and it won't come as a surprise to anybody that it has been scored by the champions with David Silva putting Manchester City up at West Ham United.
Pogba tries a 60-yard switch of play to Mata who can't quite bring the ball under control by the right byline. Pogba has already showed off his pinging ability but it is important that he doesn't just sit deep and spray the ball around comfortably. He needs to really grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
SHOT! Zaha has started to see a little bit more of the ball in recent minutes, roaming from one flank to the other. Here he drifts in from the left wing to get a shot away but he can't keep it down to trouble De Gea.
SHOT! The visitors are enjoying a good spell now and Zaha seems determined to vanquish the demons of his Old Trafford career with a goal, shooting narrowly wide from 20 yards out with De Gea scrambling.
United work the ball nicely through the left side of the area but a heavy touch from Martial sends the ball out of play for a goal kick and the danger lapses. Hennessey remains untested in the Palace goal.
Concern here for Roy Hodgson with Kouyate down and requiring treatment. The former West Ham midfielder has established himself as a regular starter alongside McArthur and Milivojevic in recent weeks, so will be hoping to run this knock off. It doesn't look too serious.
CHANCE! A golden opportunity for Palace as they rip through United on the counter-attack like the great Ferguson teams of old. Meyer and Zaha are both involved before teeing up the overlapping Van Aanholt, who scuffs wide on his right foot - 12 yards from goal with half of the net to aim at!
© Reuters
CLOSE! Sakho gifts United a free kick to the right of the area for a clumsy foul on Lingard, and it nearly yields an opening goal for the hosts as Smalling heads just wide from a very narrow angle at the back stick.
SAVE! It has taken half an hour but United have now tested Hennessey, twice in a matter of moments. The Palace goalkeeper reacts well to get down to Lingard's effort from Young's low cross, and is back to his feet to catch a Martial header which lacked any real power.
This game is much more even now than it was in the opening 10 minutes, and Max Meyer is catching the eye for the Eagles. The German midfielder was tipped as a coup when signed on a free from Schalke 04 in the summer but hasn't shown much before today.
LATEST: While United are looking a little toothless this afternoon, their neighbours have already put three past West Ham on their way to another romping victory. Brighton are also 1-0 up on 10-man Leicester who have had James Maddison sent off.
SHOT! Pogba tries to inspire a breakthrough from long range but his rising shot flies a few yards over the crossbar.
Really good play from Pogba who races 40 yards back to dispossess Meyer, and then starts a United attack with a pass to Martial whose first touch lets him down again. There has been no sign of the forward's recent good form so far this afternoon.
Van Aanholt gets right to the byline but cannot pick out Meyer with his cutback, with Matic doing just enough to squeeze the German off the ball. Zaha picks up the scraps, eventually getting a shot away which Smalling blocks behind for a corner.
Van Aanholt gets right to the byline but cannot pick out Meyer with his cutback, with Matic doing just enough to squeeze the German off the ball. Zaha picks up the scraps, eventually getting a shot away which Smalling blocks behind for a corner.
DISALLOWED GOAL! United breathe a huge sigh of relief as the assistant referee rules a Palace goal out for offside. A free kick is drilled in from the left and Kouyate rises with Lindelof, who heads the ball onto the Palace man and past De Gea. Kouyate wheels away but his celebrations are cut short by the flag, and it is a brilliant decision by the assistant with Kouyate offside and certainly interferring, even if Lindelof won the initial header.
There is going to be one minute of added time at the end of this first half at Old Trafford...
HALF TIME: MAN UTD 0-0 PALACE
Palace are well worth their parity at half time and might be thinking that they should be ahead. Van Aanholt missed the best chance of the opening 45 minutes and the visitors also had a goal disallowed. United started brightly enough but will have soon realised this is going to be a tough afternoon.
The Red Devils have not been very penetrative going forward, with Lukaku providing a valuable focal point but the quality around him letting him down. Martial has been particularly poor so far, and Mata ineffective so I wonder how long it will be before Mourinho turns to his star-studded bench.
STAT: Palace have conceded just three first-half goals, but have let in 14 after the interval.
LATEST: Here are the other half-time scores from the Premier League:
Brighton 1-0 Leicester; Everton 0-0 Cardiff; Fulham 2-1 Southampton; Watford 0-0 Liverpool; West Ham 0-3 Man City.
AS IT STANDS: A point apiece would actually see both of these teams climb one place in the Premier League table, but it would be another tough pill for United fans to swallow with their high-flying rivals set to pull 14 clear at the top.
Today is a landmark day for Mata - his 200th in a United shirt which takes him into the club's top 100 appearance makers of all time. He might be the first casualty of this underwhelming display with Rashford and Sanchez in reserve, as well as Fellaini if Mourinho wants to go more direct.
KICKOFF: The action resumes with both sides unchanged for now, although Sanchez went through an extensive half-time warm-up...
Young cuts back onto his right foot and whips in a cross from deep which Lukaku is inches from getting his head to at the back post. A slight deflection on the cross may have fooled the Belgian who didn't quite time his jump.
There has been no noticeable improvement from United in the early stages of this second period, and Palace continue to threaten on the break. United are lucky that Zaha does not make more of a one-on-one sitution with Lindelof on the right wing with the Swede standing up well to the tricky winger.
Groans of frustration surround Old Trafford as United waste two promising positions. Lingard's untimely slip halts his overlapping run, while Young is held up by Wan-Bissaka after Pogba had recycled the ball. There will surely be a period of United pressure but it is not threatening just yet.
Martial has drifted in from the left more so since the restart and that has given Young room to bomb on. That has been United's best attacking source so far in the second period but it is yet to yield a major chance.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Now it is Palace's turn to thank the linesman, whose flag denies Lukaku the opening goal. United put together their best move of the match, passing the ball out from the back and it eventually reaches Young, whose low shot is parried by Hennessey to the feet of Lukaku who can't miss from close range. This is an even tighter call from the assistant but again he has probably, just about, got it spot on.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Mourinho thinks now is the time to change things with a double substitution. Rashford and Fellaini are on for Mata and Lingard, with Sanchez still rooted to the bench for now. Fellaini's haircut makes him a bit trickier to pick out than before, but he's gone up behind Lukaku.
Palace pass up another decent chance. Zaha spreads it to Van Aanholt who has the time and space to pull the ball back to Meyer but the German hesitates in getting a shot away and the chance goes begging.
SAVE! Big double save from De Gea as he pushes away Kouyate's 25-yard drive, albeit back into the danger area, and then gets back to his feet to block from Van Aanholt who was quickest to the rebound.
A break through Rashford brings the Old Trafford crowd to their feet, and there is a sense now that United are about to go through the gears. Palace may fancy that they can pinch this on the break though.
LATEST: The pressure just rose on United to get all three points here, because Liverpool are on their way to just that at Vicarage Road, with Mohamed Salah eventually breaking Watford's resolve.
SUBSTITUTION: Mourinho plays his final wildcard from the bench, with Sanchez coming on in place of Pogba. That could be fitness based, but also performance based as the Frenchman has been mediocre at best this afternoon.
SUBSTITUTION: Mourinho plays his final wildcard from the bench, with Sanchez coming on in place of Pogba. That could be fitness based, but also performance based as the Frenchman has been mediocre at best this afternoon.
YELLOW CARD! Two United players enter the book in quick succession, with Fellaini catching Milivojevic with a nasty one on the ankle, and Young taking one for the team to tug back McArthur as Palace threatened to break clear. Milivojevic requires attention and that might be his day done actually. He's clearly in some pain.
Rashford does brilliantly to win two 50-50s over by the right flank, and suddenly United have the numbers advantage on the break. But it all comes to nothing as the switch of play to Martial is behind the Frenchman and straight out for a throw-in.
CHANCE! Andros Townsend has somehow simultaneously nearly scored the goal of the season, and produced a contender for the miss of the season. After turning on the halfway line, the winger does brilliantly to capitalise on a couple of bounces to dribble through four United defenders and go through one-on-one with De Gea, only to spoon a right-footed shot wide. He had time to work it onto his stronger left!
CLOSE! The ball breaks to Martial kindly in the box, and he shapes his body for a curler only to try to drag a shot towards the near bottom corner, ruffling the wrong side of the netting with Hennessey beaten.
Just over 10 minutes to go and Palace still look just as likely as United to take all three points here...
Van Aanholt blazes high from 25 yards out. It would take something spectacular to beat De Gea from there, and that was far from it.
SAVE! Excellent stuff from Hennessey who changes direction quickly to tip Lukaku's guided header around the post.
Hennessey races off his line to meet Martial, who was running onto Sanchez's chip over the top. The goalkeeper gets to the ball first, just outside of the area and referee Lee Mason quickly dismisses United appeals for handball, with the Welshman having skilfully used his chest to bring the ball under control.
Matic's shot takes a kind deflection, looping up for a simple catch for Hennessey who has not put a foot wrong so far.
Hodgson has yet to make a substitution so there must be some tired Palace legs out there. Will that be a factor in this final few minutes?
SUBSTITUTION: The Palace boss does now turn to his bench to kill some time with Schlupp replacing Townsend, who could have been the match-winner.
Half a chance falls Rashford's way but he cannot be the late hero as he was against Bournemouth a few weeks ago.
Jordan Ayew, just on as a substitute breaks away down the left and has a runner to his right in Kouyate. The Palace midfielder lines up a shot but fires over De Gea's crossbar from 20 yards out.
It is now the hosts who are hanging on, even more so with Lindelof having pulled up injured and struggling to move around the back. Matic has dropped into the defence to avoid a late twist.
FULL TIME: MAN UTD 0-0 PALACE
Another disappointing result for United but you cannot say that Palace did not deserve their point - their first ever at Old Trafford in the Premier League. As far as 0-0s go, this was a pretty good one but that won't appease the United fans who have seen City and Liverpool romp to wins again today.
That's it from our coverage from Old Trafford. You can read our match report here, and catch up the rest of today's Premier League scores here. Stay tuned with Sports Mole for updates from this evening's blockbuster London derby between Spurs and Chelsea. Enjoy your Saturday night!
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
