Michael Oles, Crystal Palace player, stuns Manchester United with a late settlement | Premier League

[ad_1]

Just when it looked like Manchester United had found their magic again after all this time. A late Michael Ulis free-kick denied Erik ten Hag’s side a 10th successive win and a second place in the Premier League after a first-half goal from Bruno Fernandes seemed to provide even more convincing evidence that the side who were crowned champions are still in the running. England could be more than any serious title contenders again.

With a trip to face leaders Arsenal at the Emirates next Sunday, United are now eight points behind after playing a game more but now should be much closer after giving up their advantage with almost the last kick of the game by a spirited Crystal Palace. side.

Casemiro’s late yellow card, which will rule United’s vital midfield gear against Arsenal, was a minor blow to United, however. After Marcus Rashford failed to continue his impressive scoring run in seven straight matches, it was finally Patrick Vieira’s side who celebrated full-time as they avoided a fourth successive home defeat.

United have yet to record a 10th successive victory in all competitions since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, with the current run coinciding with Cristiano Ronaldo’s final appearance for the club in the 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in November. The selection of Wighorst as their main striker after arriving on loan from Burnley marked the next phase of Ten Hag’s revolution, with the Netherlands advancing with one of three changes.

Palace, by contrast, struggled to get back on their feet after the World Cup break and went into this game looking for a boost after scoring just once from their last three home matches. Vieira made his full Premier League debut for American defender Chris Richards, called up midfielder Will Hughes and used Jean-Philippe Matita and Odson Edwards in his new attacking line.

It was this combination that almost created Edward’s first chance in the opening minutes but the former Celtic player refused to shoot, with United immediately sending a warning of the threat they posed at the break through Rashford’s quick feet.

Luke Shaw fired a wide chance after 15 minutes with a fine shot from Anthony before Lisandro Martinez was brought down for treatment for a head injury and returned with a black bandage wrapped around his head. A moment’s hesitation from Terek Mitchell allowed Anthony to see the goal but the Brazilian’s shot went just wide.

Bruno Fernandes (right) celebrates his goal with Christian Eriksen (left) and Manchester United first-choice player Wott Wieghurst at Selhurst Park. Photo: Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images

A few choice words between the former Ajax striker and Fernandes after their wires were connected in one move hinted at some of United’s growing frustrations and Weghorst should have been better at his first big chance after he latched on to a pinpoint cross from Shaw. On the other end, Marc Guehi connected with Olise’s free-kick but was unable to direct it on goal as Palace found themselves restricted to the cross attacking forward. That was until just before half-time, when Olise cut Edouard in on the edge of the penalty area and it took a superb save from David de Gea to deflect the French striker’s shot onto the crossbar.

Subscribe to Football Daily

Start your evening with The Guardian’s look at the world of football

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertisements, and content funded by third parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Less than three minutes later, United had them push when Rashford’s ball played in Christian Eriksen and his curtailment found acre space for Fernandes to chip past Vicente Guaita.

Martínez’s early booking after Olise’s deft deflection on the touchline early in the second half was a warning that Palace were not going down without a fight and it took a brilliant interception from Casemiro to stop Edouard from advancing towards goal. But this United side have proven they have the guts to fight in recent weeks and have begun to dominate possession without looking likely to extend their lead. The introduction of Scott McTominay to replace Wighorst midway through the second half was perhaps an indication that Ten Hag was happy to protect what he had.

The Scottish midfielder thought he should have been awarded a penalty after he went down in the area under a challenge from Richards but the VAR showed there was no contact. It took another sharp save from De Gea to clear Guehi’s header from a corner for Ulisse as Palace piled on the pressure in the closing stages but United’s defense remained resolute until Ulissi took the lead in the last minute to slot home a superb free-kick from the underside. From the keel that took all the wind out of United’s sails.

[ad_2]