Report & Highlights: Palace battle to draw with Man Utd

Summary:

• One change from midweek win at QPR as Wharton returns to midfield.
• 10: Henderson makes full-stretch save to deny Garnacho one-on-one.
• 14: Goalkeeper produces quickfire stops to deny De Ligt and Martinez.
• 27: Garnacho and Fernandes both hit the bar for visitors in quick succession.
• 33: Zirkzee heads wide from another United corner as visitors dominate first-half.
• 42: Henderson turns Zirkzee’s sliding flick-on round the post.
• 44: Palace finish half strongly as Eze finish kept out by Onana.
• HT: Palace 0-0 Manchester United
• Palace make two half-time changes as Lerma and Sarr enter the fray.
• 46: Sarr backheels ball through for Eze, whose effort is blocked away by De Ligt.
• 52: Fernandes bends narrowly wide for United from the edge of the box.
• 63: Henderson produces another superb save to keep out Garnacho curler.
• 65: Onana then makes stunning double save to deny Nketiah and Sarr.
• 72: Eze sweeps wide of the bottom corner when well-found by Sarr.
• 90+1: Schlupp comes on and almost tees up late Sarr winner.
• FT: Palace 0-0 Manchester United

The Eagles took to the field seeking a first Premier League win of the season buoyed by recent success in the Carabao Cup, but up against a Manchester United side who themselves had blown hot and cold in the opening weeks of the season.

After scoring three against Southampton and seven versus Barnsley in the last week, however, it must be said that almost all the first-half chances went United’s way, with goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a stunning performance against his former side.

After a tentative opening period, United’s first opportunity arrived inside 10 minutes; Joshua Zirkzee held the ball up well and slid through Alejandro Garnacho, but the Argentinian’s left-footed strike across goal was turned away full stretch by Henderson.

Palace were indebted to their goalkeeper twice in quick succession moments later, as he kept out Matthijs de Ligt’s downward header and Lisandro Martinez’s scuffed effort goalwards – both with his legs.

It was turning into an inspired display by Henderson – although he was beaten twice in the space of moments as Garnacho, played through once again, hit the angle of post-and-bar with a curling shot. The rebound bounced out to Bruno Fernandes who side-footed goalwards – and, remarkably, against the top of the bar again.

The chances kept coming for United, with Zirkzee nodding wide at the back post from a header and then being denied by Henderson once more as he slid in to meet Fernandes’ inviting delivery across goal.

But Palace retained parity, and in the very final two minutes of the half, they gave the Selhurst Park support plenty of encouragement as Eddie Nketiah played Tyrick Mitchell into space inside the box.

His pull-back found Ebere Eze with plenty of time near the penalty spot – but the England international’s mis-hit effort failed to test Andre Onana in goal.

Glasner responded to United’s first-half dominance decisively, bringing on Jefferson Lerma and Ismaïla Sarr for Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta respectively.

The Senegal forward was involved immediately as Eze’s piece of skill saw the ball break to him in midfield. He back-heeled the ball into the England international’s path and, with the angle narrowing and no team-mates in support, attempted to scoop past Onana – only for De Ligt to slide in and see the ball behind.

But United were still creating chances themselves, and after a clever give-and-go with Zirzkee, Fernandes came within inches of breaking the deadlock with an outside-of-the-boot effort which whistled wide of the post.

Henderson again added another superb save to his showreel, springing high to his left to tip over Garnacho’s in-swinging effort from the corner of the box.

But for all the pressure they had been forced to soak up, the Eagles probably should have gone ahead on 65 minutes.

Nketiah once again broke in well from the flank, and although his initial left-footed shot was not saved convincingly by Onana, the United goalkeeper was quickly back on his feet to prevent Sarr – racing in on the rebound – from tapping into an empty net.

For the first time in the game, Palace were beginning to threaten, and on 72 minutes, another golden opportunity arrived as Sarr showed superb footwork inside the box to beat two men, but Eze could not quite find the bottom corner after being found by the pull-back.

The sting had been largely drawn from the visitors by the time the closing stages came around – and Palace finished the stronger of the two sides with Jeffrey Schlupp making a positive late cameo, only for his low cross to be deflected behind with Sarr attacking.

If you can’t win fixtures, it still takes plenty of character to avoid losing them – and whilst Palace’s wait for a first league win of the season goes on, they showed no shortage of fight in claiming a hard-fought but well-earned draw under the Selhurst lights.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz, Wharton (Lerma, HT), Kamada, Mitchell, Eze (Schlupp, 90+1), Mateta (Sarr, HT), Nketiah (Hughes, 66).

Subs: Turner (GK), Ward, Clyne, Umeh, Agbinone.

Manchester United: Onana (GK), Mazraoui, Martinez, De Ligt, Dalot, Mainoo, Eriksen (Ugarte, 76), Amad (Hojlund, 76), Fernandes, Garnacho, Zirzkee (Rashford, 61).

Subs: Bayindir (GK), Evans, Maguire, Casemiro, Mount, Antony.

As It Happened