Manchester United 1-2 Crystal Palace: Five Talking Points | Premier League 2019-20
After a frustrating draw away at Wolverhampton, Manchester United fell prey to yet another dismal result, this time at the Theatre of Dreams. Crystal Palace, who hadn't opened their scoring account in the Premier League this season, did not only that but also inflicted a defeat upon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men.
The Eagles struck first with Jordan Ayew in the 32nd minute, heavily against the run of play. In the second half, Scott McTominay won a penalty for United. Marcus Rashford's spot-kick sent the keeper the wrong way but came back off the post.
Daniel James equalized for Manchester United in the 89th minute with a beautiful curler as Old Trafford braced for 'Fergie Time'. Confident of getting a winner with five minutes of added time, United were caught off guard again by a gritty Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson's side broke through quickly as Patrick van Aanholt scored in the second minute of added time.
United have only managed to take four points from their opening three games as they move towards a tough round of fixtures in the upcoming weeks - against Southampton, Leicester City, West Ham United and Arsenal.
On that note, we look at the five major talking points from the game.
#5 Crystal Palace land the sucker punch, twice
Whether we call it a result of United's lethargic, complacent defense or Crystal Palace's grit throughout the game, or maybe a combination of both, the goals that were put away by the away side were not on the table to be scored.
A harmless long ball from Vicente Guaita should never have been a problem for Victor Lindelof. But surprisingly, he lost the aerial against Schlupp, and even more surprisingly, Jordan Ayew trotted ahead completely unmarked. United were hit heavily against the run of play.
Finally, when they equalized and were threatening to go for the winner, it happened again. Paul Pogba lost possession against Christian Benteke as Wilfried Zaha broke off. Patrick van Aanholt smashed the ball against David de Gea, a shot that should have been saved but wasn't, as United had the wind taken out of their sails.
Crystal Palace's fighting mentality has to be appreciated but United's carelessness, despite having the momentum and a vibrant crowd behind them, is highly questionable.