Man Utd 0 Crystal Palace 1: United slip to TENTH after frustrating afternoon as Eagles cling on to early Andersen winner
CRISIS ON, CRISIS AVERTED, crisis back on.
Such is the roller coaster life of Manchester United.
This, however, was another severe dip.
While it may not have fans screaming in terror as they slip back down the league, there are serious worries.
After two victories, against Burnley and today’s visitors Crytal Palace in the Carabao Cup, had put their season back on track this was a severe blow.
That is four league defeats in their last six in the league.
Fanciful talk of a possible title challenge before this season with the new additions are now well and truly over as we enter October.
Top four is already the best hope and unless things improve quickly that could soon be off the table too.
Early days yes, but the signs are not good.
Not surprisingly there was much changed teams on both sides from the Tuesday night Carabao Cup tie.
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But winger Facundo Pellistri, 21, did keep his place after impressing that night and was starting his first Premier League game.
He struggled to get into it from the start as the momentum gathered from those two wins failed to carry over.
Palace were good for their half time lead which came from an unlikely source.
Centre-back Joachim Andersen had just two goals from 72 appearances before this season but after netting the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Brentford earlier in the season here he was on target again.
It was some strike in the 25th minute to but a hat-trick of errors by United players assisted in the goal.
First Casemiro’s casualness allowed the visitors to win possession then Soyan Amrabat clumsily brought down Jordan Ayew on the right to concede a free kick.
Eberechi Eze curled it over and Rasmus Hojlund completely missed the ball with an attempted clearing header.
That allowed it to reach Andersen who fired a shot on the half-volley into the far top corner.
Either side of that it had needed fine last ditch tackles from Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane to deny the visitors when Jeffrey Schlupp and Jean-Philippe Mateta threatened.
At the other end there was only one real first half chance to speak of as United struggled to clip the Eagles’ wings.
It was the 12th minute when Marc Guehi misjudged a high ball and Marcus Rashford forced it through to Rasmus Hojlund.
The goalkeeper was out but the Dane was able to flick it past him and send a chance goalwards only for Tyrick Mitchell to get back and hook it clear.
Rallied by a Ten Hag half-time teamtalk United had a positive start to the second-half.
Casemiro’s spectacular overhead kick effort dropped wide.
Bruno Fernandes shot from the edge of the area was arrowing towards the top left hand corner before Sam Johnstone’s finger tips intervened.
Then from the captains ball in Hojlund had a header well saved too.
The noise level rose inside Old Trafford and the fans calls for the introduction of Alejandro Garnacho to the wing were answered.
He had an early effort which lacked pace and then Amrabat’s drive from 30 yards scrapped the bar although it would have been cancelled out as the referee blew for an infringement on the goalkeeper in the build up.
Mason Mount, all £60million of him, had a chance to raise another average performance to another level with a free header from Diogo Dalot’s cross.
Unfortunately he sent it flying over the bar.
Garnacho injected some pace into proceedings and when he darted to the byline and pulled the ball back it clipped off two Palace players and went inches wide of the far post.
Ten Hag made changes with Christian Eriksen and Anthony Martial brought into the fray with Mount and Rashford brought off.
It had been a disappointing performance from both but quite what Ten Hag thought Martial was going to do to change things was another matter.
Palace had this and when Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek were brought on with a few minutes left you knew the game was up.
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