PREMIER LEAGUE – Crystal Palace – A Palace masterpiece and Manchester United’s winning streak ends at 9!

While a tenth consecutive success in all competitions was reaching out to him, Manchester United dropped two points on the lawn of Crystal Palace (1-1), Wednesday in a late match of the 7th day. Bruno Fernandes had opened the scoring (43rd), but the Mancunians, who thought they were heading for a quiet victory, cracked on a sumptuous free kick from Michael Olise (90th + 1). This draw sanctions an overly sufficient performance from the Red Devils, who miss the opportunity to come back to within six points of Arsenal.

His face remained stoic on the spot, but one could easily guess the frustration germinating in Erik Ten Hag’s well-made head. There was frankly enough, as his team was heading for another victory. But Olise took the right gesture, when it was needed, to stop the beautiful Mancunian dynamic. His shot wrapped from the left, on a free kick slightly eccentric on the right, nestled directly under the bar. This twist of fate still responds to a certain logic.

MU looked for it

Alejandro Garnacho may have obtained a very big opportunity from a corner in the wake of the equalizer (90th + 3), we can not really say that Manchester United did everything to grab three points at Selhurst Park. Even against a curled up then messy Crystal Palace team, David De Gea had to work twice, on a shot from Odsonne Edouard diverted on the bar (40th), then on a header from Marc Guéhi (75th), to delay the deadline. Because these Red Devils were purring and unable to set the pace in a padlocked meeting. As a symbol, Marcus Rashford, scorer in each of the last Mancunian successes, remained silent and lacked precision.

Yes, there was indeed this goal from Bruno Fernandes (43rd), at the end of a collective movement facilitated by the defensive apathy of Palace. But overall, Manchester United’s real situations can be counted on the fingers of one hand. For his first, striker Wout Weghorst was very discreet, and Antony unremarkable.

The Casemiro blow

Should this be seen as a halt? Accounting, the Red Devils could have become dolphins of Arsenal, six points behind the Gunners, before City-Tottenham tomorrow. The shot would have been perfect, while a trip to the Emirates is looming this weekend which could have put them definitively in the game for the title. This meeting, Manchester United will approach it eight points behind Arsenal … and without its playmaker Casemiro, suspended for having received a yellow card at the end of the match. Erik Ten Hag would also have done well without it.