Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United: Score, Reaction from 2015 Premier League
Crystal Palace and Manchester United played out a 0-0 goalless draw in the Premier League on Saturday, as neither side could find the knockout punch to take the victory.
The Selhurst Park outfit dominated large parts of the game, but United dug in to stop the south London side grabbing the win.
Daley Blind returned to the United back four to replace Phil Jones in defence, and 17-year-old Axel Tuanzebe featured on the Red Devils' bench for the first time.
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Former United attacker Wilfried Zaha started for Palace against his previous club as Dwight Gayle led the line for the Eagles.
It was Palace that made the better start, positive in their passing and movement, forcing United immediately onto the back foot.
David De Gea denied Gayle in the opening moments, and the United goalkeeper once again performed his usual heroics, tipping a powerful Yannick Bolasie half-volley onto the crossbar.
Zaha and Bolasie continued to torment the United full-backs as they twisted and turned, with Palace dominating their illustrious opponents.
The Red Devils started to edge their way back into the contest as the first half progressed. Wayne Rooney—featuring as the No. 9—broke free of the Palace centre-backs but didn't have the pace to beat goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey as the pair charged one-on-one for the ball.
Football blogger Adam Sweeney called the action:
Despite creating very little in front of goal, United dominated the early possession stats, per BBC's Match of the Day:
United have been very methodical in their play in recent weeks, with Paul Scholes criticising manager Louis van Gaal for his lack of exciting tactics, per BBC Sport.
It was more of the same from LvG on Saturday afternoon, and the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst suggested the travelling fans were not enamoured with what they saw:
Anthony Martial began to creep inside from his left-wing berth as United showed more attacking intent.
The Frenchman attempted to link up play with Rooney, but the pair struggled to display any signs of chemistry or partnership.
The Guardian's Amy Lawrence wasn't impressed, as the United fans roared:
Ander Herrera missed a gilt-edged opportunity shortly before the half time whistle; Juan Mata linked with Martial, and the teenager found Herrera unmarked, but the Spaniard sliced his shot when it looked like he would score.
Squawka shared the half-time stats as the players left the pitch:
WhoScored.com highlighted the ineffective nature of Rooney once again, as the striker struggled to make an impact:
The second half began as the previous had ended, as neither team could stamp their mark on the match, leaving the Palace fans to raise the atmosphere with their incessant and exuberant chanting.
Chris Smalling found himself in the referee's book for a blatant foul on Gayle, but the Eagles failed to capitalise from the resulting free-kick.
Zaha continued to look tricky down the left, as Matteo Darmian earned himself a suspension after being booked for a foul on the former Red Devil.
Palace dominated the first 20 minutes of the half, forcing LvG to review his options as he debated how to wrest territory back from the home side.
Football writer Liam Canning highlighted how this kind of performance is becoming a regular occurrence from United:
United made a double substitution midway through the second half in an attempt to stem the tide of the Palace attack, bringing Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young into battle, replacing Bastian Schweinsteiger and the disappointing Darmian.
LvG switched Martial and Rooney, pushing the England skipper out wide to allow the French international to move to the striker's role.
However, it was Palace who were creating the better chances, as Yohan Cabaye shot wide past De Gea's post. The Eagles started to put the visitors under extreme pressure, forcing De Gea to once again come to the rescue of his defence, as Luckhurst commented about United's lack of verve:
United rallied in the final minutes as they looked to steal the points, but Van Gaal's side never looked the better team on Saturday.
The end of the match petered out into the expected goalless draw, but it was Palace who thought they could have won the game with a strong charge in the second half.
Bolasie went close with a header in the final minute, but United soaked up the pressure and obtained a precious point.
Post-Match Reaction
Van Gaal was in a reflective mood after the match, and spoke about his side's goal drought to MUTV (h/t the club's official Twitter account):
United next feature in the Premier League on Saturday, Nov. 7 when they host West Brom at Old Trafford, and Palace play the following day, facing a difficult trip to Anfield to take on Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
