MAN UTD 1, CRYSTAL PALACE 2
Manchester United’s penalty curse struck again as Crystal Palace won at Old Trafford for the first time in almost 30 years.
Marcus Rashford assumed responsibility after Paul Pogba’s miss at Wolves five days earlier.
But there was no different outcome as Rashford failed to convert from 12 yards for the first time in his career.
Yet United were frustrated after also being denied two other shouts for a penalty as VAR was again in the spotlight.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was convinced Anthony Martial and Rashford ought also to have been awarded spot kicks.
Embed from Getty Images“Martial’s was a clear and obvious penalty. It was nailed on and when he sees it will know it was a mistake,” he said.
“And it was a goalscoring position when (Gary) Cahill brought down Martial. I have not doubt either it was a penalty.”
It was a frustrating afternoon for United as Palace, who had failed to score in 11 of their last 12 visits to Old Trafford, made up for previous disappointments.
Goals from Jordan Ayew and Patrick van Aanholt earned Palace a sixth win in their last eight away Premier League games.
By contrast, United have managed only one clean sheet in their last 18 matches.
United, despite having 22 goal attempts, only scored once after Daniel James’ 89th minute stunning equaliser looked to have earned the Reds a point.
Solskjaer said his side lacked energy and attacking penetration in the opening half, adding they were not troubled until Ayew scored.
United’s manager described the second-half display as “excellent” as they put Palace under more pressure, created more chances and more urgency to their game.
“We have to hit the target when you get those chances,” he said.
Roy Hodgson was delighted to be the first Palace manager in the Premier League era to win at Old Trafford.
He said: “When you have been working in the game as long as I have been, you are going to get little nuggets like this.
“For a few days I will remind myself of that but then I will have to focus on the Carabao Cup tie against Colchester and league game against Aston Villa.”
Hodgson put the win down to “defensive discipline, shape, work rate and effort” saying they kept to the script.
He admitted they rode their luck with the penalty but had hoped after that they would see out the game 1-0.
Solskjaer fielded the same side that started Monday’s 1-1 draw at Wolves as Aaron Wan-Bissaka faced his former employers.
Palace, without injured centre backs Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins, handed a debut to the ex-Chelsea player Gary Cahill.
After an uneventful opening, United eventually began to carve out chances as Rashford saw two free kicks fly wide and James’ goalbound shot was blocked by van Aanholt.
But it was Palace who snatched a 32nd minute route-one goal.
A long clearance from goalkeeper Vicent Guaita was headed on by Jeffrey Schlupp, who won an aerial duel with Victor Lindelof as Ayew raced clear unchecked to slot a shot low past David De Gea.
United then lost left-back Luke Shaw with a hamstring injury as he was replaced by Ashley Young.
They were again caught out defensively after an error by Lindelof let in Wilfried Zaha whose close-range shot was blocked by De Gea.
Cahill was booked for bringing down Anthony Martial on the edge of the box when it could conceivably been a red card and Pogba fired the free kick narrowly over.
United had a penalty appeal early in the second half when Martial looked to be shoved off the ball by Martin Kelly as he stumbled before shooting over.
United, without a shot on target made a second change in the 56th minute when the out-of-sort Jesse Lingard was replaced by young striker Mason Greenwood.
They finally forced a save from Guaita but Rashford’s low effort didn’t trouble the keeper.
United were handed a lifeline, a 69th minute penalty after Scott McTominay was tripped by Luka Milivojevic as he burst into the box.
After the penalty fiasco at Wolves, when Pogba’s effort was saved, Rashford stepped forward only to smash his spot kick against the inside of the upright.
United had yet another shout for a penalty rejected, this time by VAR as Rashford went down as he cut in from the left but it looked as though he had lost balance.
Juan Mata came on for McTominay with five minutes left, United’s third change as they still sought a leveller.
United finally found the net in the 89th minute following a great build up after Zaha lost the ball.
Martial played a one-two with Rashford and set up James who from 15 yards curled an effort into the top corner.
You would have thought the momentum was with United if there was to be a winner.
However, in the third of five added minutes Palace struck the winner after Zaha burst into the box.
Wan-Bissaka got a foot in to stop the striker but the ball rebounded to van Aanholt whose drive from close range squirmed through De Gea who will be disappointed not to have kept it out.