Rashford, Martial clinical as United see off Palace
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester United 2 Rashford (45+1), Martial (78)
Manchester United were far from their best but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side edged nearer to the Champions League places with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring
in first-half stoppage time with a moment of real class. Anthony Martial made the game safe in the 78th minute with another moment of quality.
United remain in fifth place in the table but are now level on points with Leicester City.
Roy Hodgson will be disappointed. His team have picked up only three points since the Premier League’s resumption but they made life very difficult for United. They were unfortunate not to pick up at least a share of the spoils. They need a clinical striker to act as a foil for the splendid Wilfried Zaha. Hodgson’s misery was compounded by what looked like a serious injury to Patrick van Aanholt.
Palace started brightly. James McArthur, finding space in a congested midfield, slid a pass through to Zaha on the edge of the box and the striker fired in a sharp shot that David de Gea clawed away. Zaha is at the centre of everything Palace do and his running sparked consternation in the United defence. Aaron WanBissaka’s instinct to get forward and Mason Greenwood’s reluctance to track back meant Victor Lindelof was forced to backpedal in the face of Zaha’s driving runs.
It took almost 10 minutes for Solskjaer’s side to create a chance. Harry Maguire had a free header from a corner but got his direction all wrong. The ball was flying well wide even before it was blocked. Moments later the centre half climbed to meet another corner but this time Maguire’s effort crept over the bar. Palace were the better side but United’s aerial threat was a warning to Hodgson’s men.
The McArthur-Zaha combination was the biggest source of danger for Palace. Just after the drinks break the Scot found space on the left and sent in a cross for Zaha at the back post but the striker was always stretching and got under the ball.
There were few real chances for United but they were growing into the game. Martial squirmed his way into the box and cleverly picked out Greenwood on the blind side of the defence but the 18-year-old snatched at the ball and screwed it wide. Pogba went down heavily in the area after offloading a directionless pass but his appeals for a penalty were never going to find favour with the referee.
Maguire again rose above the defence at a corner but this time glanced the ball wide. Set-pieces looked United’s best hope of a goal but they began to turn up the pressure as half-time approached.
Palace still looked dangerous on the break. Zaha bore down on goal and tangled with Lindelof. The striker thought he was brought down and was furious when the referee waved play on. It seemed that Zaha had a point. The defender did not appear to get the ball. Palace were angry and their sense of grievance grew deeper when United went up the other end and opened the scoring.
For much of the first half the visiting side’s passing lacked speed and crispness. Bruno Fernandes had struggled to get into the game. This time they poured forward with pace. Fernandes took possession on the edge of the box and found Rashford in a congested penalty area. The 22-year-old kept his composure and cut back beautifully, creating the space to score a classic striker’s goal. Rashford was the best of United’s front players and his moment of excellence was the highlight of the game.
Palace were unbowed. They thought they had levelled the scores when Luka Milivojevic curled a delectable free kick towards the top corner of the goal but De Gea made a fingertip save to turn the ball away.
The home side pushed United hard in the second half. Jordan Ayew had a goal ruled out by VAR after straying offside before meeting Zaha’s fine cross.
The game was becoming stretched. Rashford had another chance but his shot was too close to Vicente Guaita. At the other end McArthur got beyond Wan-Bissaka, who was having a torrid night, and played the ball across goal. Ayew, perhaps chastened by the disallowed goal, held up his run and the cross rolled away from danger, much to the dismay of the Palace contingent.
United went close when Rashford found Fernandes in the box but the Portuguese rapped the ball against the post. The respite for Palace was temporary. Rashford and Fernandes combined superbly before the England striker picked out Martial and the Frenchman flashed the ball into the net. Van Aanholt, desperate to block the shot, collided with Martial and though neither player was at fault the Palace left back was carried off on a stretcher after a long delay.
Zaha went close to pulling a goal back but De Gea, who had an excellent night, saved with his feet. It was a dispiriting end for the home side.
For United it was another step closer to Champions League qualification. They only hinted at the level they are capable of achieving at Selhurst but all that matters is the result. Solskjaer’s men are heaping pressure on Leicester as the Premier League reaches its final phase.
Leicester consolidated their spot in the Champions League qualification places by beating Sheffield United 2-0 in the Premier League on Thursday thanks to goals from Ayoze Perez and Demarai Gray.
The victory kept Leicester in fourth place, a point behind third-placed Chelsea and above Manchester
United on goal difference after the latter’s win at Crystal Palace.
With Manchester City having won their appeal against a two-year ban from European competition, a topfour finish is required to qualify for the Champions League rather a finish in the top five.
That looks more achievable for Leicester now after they responded perfectly to a shock 4-1 defeat by Bournemouth.
Perez drove home the opening goal from just inside the area in the 29th minute after being teed up by Luke Thomas on the left-back’s debut for Leicester.
Gray came on as a substitute in the 76th minute and doubled the lead within three minutes of his arrival, scoring with an angled shot after being picked out by Jamie Vardy – who earlier hit the post – at the end of a counter-attack.
Sheffield United had their moments at the King Power, but were the weaker side for much of the game. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson was the visitors’ best performer, keeping the margin narrower than it could have been.
Chris Wilder’s men stayed in eighth place, two points behind sixth-placed Wolverhampton in the battle for Europa League qualification.