MANCHESTER UNITED 0, CRYSTAL PALACE 0
It was goalless at Old Trafford after Manchester United drew a blank at home against Crystal Palace and slipped further away from league leaders Man City.
The gap is now 14 points – and the Reds were six points from Spurs in 4th before their game against Chelsea.
And Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace side didn’t just come for a point either as they played a full part in the game and could have scored themselves against a United side who looked like they hadn’t fully recovered from the pummelling they received at the Etihad before the international break.
United boss Jose Mourinho made four changes from that side, with Matteo Darmian, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba, and Romelu Lukaku coming in for Luke Shaw (who was suspended), Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini, and Marcus Rashford.
Mata was making his 200th appearance in all competitions for United but it was a former United player who got Old Trafford going early on.
Wilfried Zaha sent two early chances wide as United were slow to get into the game.
Zaha also set up team mate Patrick van Aanholt for a chance which he also put wide.
Jesse Lingard was fouled twice just as he broke free of the Palace defence.
There were chances for Lingard and Anthony Martial – both efforts were saved by Wayne Hennessey in the Crystal Palace goal.
Two disallowed goals either side of the break shaped the game, with Luka Milivojevic’s free kick headed in by Cheikhou Kouyate only to be disallowed for offside while Ashley Young’s shot was seen late by Hennessey who could only palm it out as far as Lukaku but the Belgian was definitely offside when he tapped the loose ball in.
Palace were in the ascendancy as the game limped into the second half, with Zaha and Andros Townsend stretching the Reds but it was United who ended the game on the front foot.
Anthony Martial shot wide late while Lukaku’s header was palmed away by Hennessey who was off his line to clear a United ball in.
And boos were clearly audible at the end as United, with a point, climbed up to seventh place in the Premier League table.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester United 0, Crystal Palace 0
David De Gea: 7. A couple of saves from Cheikhou Kouyate and Patrick van Aanholt to keep United in the game.
Matteo Darmian: 7. A rare run-out for the Italian full back. Solid and put some good crosses in too.
Chris Smalling: 7. Contrived to miss an easy header from range Juan Mata’s free kick but otherwise solid.
Victor Lindelof: 6. Saved by the offside flag or he was in danger of scoring an own goal in the first half. Went down injured at the end.
Ashley Young: 6. Decent range of passes and his shot in the second half was palmed out for a tap-in by an offside Romelu Lukaku.
Nemanja Matic: 6. Shielding the back four but did little going forward.
Paul Pogba: 6. Little impact on the game before coming off.
Jesse Lingard: 7. Fouled twice trying to break free for a run on goal. Lively and could have scored or set up a goal in the first half.
Juan Mata: 6. Good free kicks but little service.
Anthony Martial: 6. Initially dangerous but fell off towards the end of the first half.
Romelu Lukaku: 6. Little movement, poor first touch, easily marked out by Sakho but almost managed to head a winner for United with 6 minute to go.
Marouane Fellaini (on for Jesse Lingard 60): 6. Hair cut doesn’t seem to have added elegance to his game. An agricultural challenge on Luka Milivojevic soon after coming on wasn’t punished with a card.
Marcus Rashford (on for Juan Mata 60): 6. Missed a sitter at the end.
Alexis Sanchez (on for Paul Pogba 68): 6. Added some energy.
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 0, Crystal Palace 0
Man Utd: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Lindelof, Young, Matic, Pogba (Sanchez 68), Lingard (Fellaini 60), Mata (Rashford 60), Martial, Lukaku
Man Utd Subs not used: Grant, Jones, Sanchez, Fred, Valencia
Booked: Young 71
Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Meyer, Townsend (Schlupp 88), Zaha (J Ayew 90)
Crystal Palace Subs not used: Guaita, Ward, Sorloth, Kelly, Puncheon
Booking: Milivojevic 8, Sakho 27
Attendance: 74,516