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Summary
Those are valuable points for United in their aim for a top-four finish, but how important might that Matic goal be for Palace come the end of the season? If they go down by a point of two, this will be a result that they will rue. Two goals up at home, with 42 minutes to play, and they conceded three.
Nemanja Matic is talking to the cameras about his first goal for Manchester United.
Palace had the crowd behind them but we showed character. We did exactly what the manager wanted. I’m happy. When the ball bounced, I knew it was going to be a good shot. I know scoring is not my job but I have to do it sometimes.
Off camera, in the corridor, you can hear Jose Mourinho joking with Matic: “I hope you were not man of the match!”, the Portuguese says. Matic shakes his head a little sheepishly, a little wounded.
For all the quality of Matic’s winner, it is worth remembering that De Gea save just after Lukaku’s equaliser. It was OUTRAGEOUS, and helped maintain Manchester United’s record of not losing to Crystal Palace in 18 Premier League matches.
What a game. Thanks for joining me, and for your emails and tweets.
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Full-time: Crystal Palace 2-3 Manchester United
That’s it. Heartbreak for Palace.
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90+3 min: He’s been poor all night, but the guy does have a hammer for a left foot. You have to give Manchester United an awful lot of credit here. 2-0 down away from home, and they’ve edged back into the game, and had a moment of quality when it mattered most. Wow.
2-3 Matic wellies this one in from 30 yards! A Mata cross is cleared only as far as Matic, the ball bouncing kindly, and the Serbian puts his laces through it, with his shot slicing away from Hennessey, dipping into the top corner. That is a sensational strike, surely the winner for United!
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-3 Manchester United (Matic 90+2)
United have come from 2-0 down to lead! What a strike!
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90 min: Three minutes added on here. Mourinho looks angry there’s not more time.
89 min: United break, and Rashford slips a clever ball down the side for Mata, who breaks the offside trap and tries to squeeze a shot in from a tight angle, but Hennessey did well to come out and smother, with the ball actually hitting the keeper, rebounding off Mata and out for a goal kick.
88 min: This is good from Palace. Since their reshuffle with Riedewald coming on, they’ve gone on the offensive, before conceding they were penned in their own area. Townsend gets a half yard on the edge of the box, but can’t get a clean shot off.
86 min: Mourinho slips over on the touchline, almost going full LVG. Middle-aged men falling over will always be funny. To be fair, the Portuguese takes it well, and laughs it off. It’s the first time I’ve seen him smile all night.
84 min: “Does anyone know if Sørloth he is any relation to Gøran Sørloth, the great Rosenborg and Norway point man of the 90’s?”
Yep, the Palace man is Gøran’s son.
82 min: Palace are beginning to look a little leggy. Hennessey does well to take about 50 seconds to take a goal kick, as his team-mates get their breath back after a wayward Lukaku cross.
80 min: Palace sub: Schlupp is replaced by Riedewald. Looks like the Dutchman is going to play wide left, which is not his normal position.
78 min: WHAT A SAVE FROM DE GEA. This is a wonder save. Benteke got his head to a cross, the ball glanced off the greasy surface towards the corner. Benteke was already wheeling away in celebration, but De Gea springs to his right, and somehow claws it out. That is magnificent.
2-2 That was coming. Pogba and Sanchez show some neat touches on the edge of Palace’s box, the latter crashing a shot at goal. Tomkins gets a half-block in, and the ball spoons up in the air and on top of Hennessey’s crossbar, before bouncing out to Lukaku. The Belgian takes an age to get the ball under control, and has a sea of bodies between him and the goal, but after about six fake-shots, he finally squeezes the ball inside the near post, via a deflection. What a game we have here.
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-2 Manchester United (Lukaku 76)
It’s all square!
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74 min: Townsend is booked for time wasting, kicking the ball away.
73 min: Palace clear a Matic shot off the line! United’s players all go up in arms appealing to the referee, who presumably had a look at his goal-line technology watch and said no. That looked mighty close. It was from a horribly tight angle but looked as though Benteke (!) just got back in time.
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70 min: Sustained Manchester United pressure now. Palace are dropping deeper and deeper. United smell blood.
68 min: Here is Wan-Bissaka’s Wikipedia page, for any Palace fans that want to add an entry about Rashford being in his pocket, etc and so on. Richard Krivonozka’s googling is better than mine.
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66 min: And with one fell swoop, my prediction is in tatters. Valencia off, with Young. Luke Shaw and Juan Mata on. United have made all their subs now.
67' - #MUFC make a double substitution, with @LukeShaw23 and @JuanMata8 replacing Young and Valencia. @PaulPogba has just gone close for United, forcing a good save from Hennessey. #CRYMUN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 5, 2018
64 min: I’m sensing a Manchester United equaliser. It will come in the 78th minute, from a classic low/driven Valencia cross.
62 min: Once again, Wan-Bissaka gets the better of Rashford, who has at least looked lively since he’s come on. But full marks to Wan-Bissaka, who made an inch-perfect slide tackle on the England international inside Palace’s penalty box. Wan-Bissaka is just 18, and doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page (that I can find).
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60 min: Apologies.
“Just to give credit for quick thinking where it’s due, after Benteke was fouled it was Schlupp who took the quick free kick to play in Van Aanholt,” corrects J.R. in Illinois.
58 min: “As disappointing a scoreline as this is (so far), I can’t say I’m overly surprised,” emails Matt Richman. “Palace started today only two points above the drop, whereas united have a six-point cushion above Chelsea in fifth. This with an eight-day stretch to come featuring a game against Liverpool, an all-to-play for European tie, and a cup quarter final. That said, this is very much a first-string side. Wonder what the instructions were.”
56 min: All the momentum is with United now, and Palace are happy to win a free-kick. Young is given a yellow card for pulling back McArthur.
2-1 This is terrible defending from Tomkins. Palace had cleared a cross well, with Valencia picking up the loose ball. The Ecuadorian had time to get his head up, and with Tomkins playing two United players onside at the back post, Valencia crosses, with Smalling planting his header across goal into the far corner. Easy finish. So easy in fact that it looked like a training ground goal.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-1 Manchester United (Smalling 54)
United pull one back!
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51 min: From the corner, United so nearly pull a goal back. Rashford whips in a delicious cross to the back post, Hennessey completely misjudges it and Smalling can’t divert the header into an empty net. Tomkins did just enough there, not the first time Hennessey has looked shaky this evening.
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50 min: So United have it all to do. Palace will get plenty of men behind the ball, and United will have to break them down. Rashford tries again to drive to the byline, but again Wan-Bissaka shepherds it out for a corner.
2-0 Benteke is fouled near the half-way line. Van Aanholt had been lurking on the overlap and wasn’t tracked by Valencia, so Benteke simply gets to his feet after the foul, plays a simple through ball and Van Aanholt races through unchallenged and sidefoots the ball inside the near post of De Gea! Palace double their lead! Mourinho is furious! You can lipread him saying “Kick the ball out!” to his players for that free-kick.
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-0 Manchester United (Van Aanholt 48)
Palace take a quick free kick, and catch United cold!
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47 min: Looks like Rashford is going to play off the left, with Sanchez moving into the centre. Rashford ghosts past Wan-Bissaka, and it’s only a wonderful recovery tackle from the young right back that stops Rashford slotting home the equaliser. Immediate impact from Rashford.
Peeeeeeep! We’re underway again. Sanchez immediately gives the ball away for the 20th time.
Manchester United’s players are late coming out for the second half. They have made one change: McTominay off (he was booked remember), Rashford on.
In other hair news, unless I’m mistaken, David Silva has surely had one of those operations. Which means, I’m delighted to report, his fringe will make a glorious return.
Jamie Carragher has just said that Alexis Sanchez lost the ball 19 times in that first half. He was poor, but surely that can’t be true. That’s once every two minutes, twenty five seconds.
Re Townsend’s barnet, Martin Skrtel has a worrying amount of hair these days. Here he is tangling with Anderson Talisca in the Istanbul derby between Besiktas and Fenerbahce at the weekend. I knew where I was with Skrtel’s skinhead. Now I don’t know what to believe.
Half-time: Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester United
Palace look comfortable here.
45+1 min: Clash of heads between Milivojevic and Young. Replays show that it’s a nasty one as the referee halts play. Young is given no sympathy by that corner of Palace fans.
45 min: One minute added on here. Sorloth is penalised for a very soft foul on Matic. Lucky that for the Serbian, who had left United exposed. He’s not done Jonathan Wilson proud this half.
44 min: Young must be doing his nut. Again he gets free on United’s left wing, again he is ignored, this time by Sanchez.
42 min: McTominay is booked for a wild challenge on Van Aanholt. The United youngster went in for a 50-50 challenge but completely missed the ball and instead crashed into the Dutchman. McTominay gives Van Aanholt a pat on the ground and accepts his punishment.
40 min: What a waste from Lingard. United work the ball well across Palace’s box, Lingard has Young completely free to his left and instead ignores the left back and shoots five yards wide. Poor.
38 min: Don’t we all. I had tickets to France v winner of England/Iceland.
@michaelbutler18 I wish Hodgson had worked his Scandinavian magic against Iceland two summers ago...I really do.
— Dale Anthony Cook (@DACook1) March 5, 2018
36 min: Milivojevic and McArthur are doing an excellent job of closing the space in front of their back four. Pogba hasn’t had a sniff. The Frenchman is getting visibly frustrated and responds by overhitting a Hollywood cross 10 yards over the head of Lukaku.
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34 min: Sanchez is looking like United’s only creative threat at present. He’s taken a knock too, after a heavy but fair challenge from McArthur. Sanchez gingerly gets to his feet. McTominay, Pogba and Lingard need to do more.
32 min: Sanchez is dropping deeper into central areas, and popping some loft-wedge dinks over the Palace defence into dangerous areas. He’s good at that, but so far Lukaku and Lingard haven’t quite been on his wavelength.
30 min: Very impressed with Benteke and Sorloth thus far. They carry a threat for Palace on the counter-attack and have linked the play well, bringing Townsend and Schlupp into the game when Palace have the ball. Physically, Lindelof and Smalling haven’t got hold of them.
28 min: Ahhhhhh. Kevin Wilson has just reminded me of this. Carry on then. Boo, etc.
26 min: United are having a good spell, with Palace happy to get men behind the ball. Pogba crosses and Hennessey drops it (!) but there’s nobody following up for United.
24 min: “Hey Mike,” writes Kelvin Pat, “not a Palace fan, but have watched Sorloth play a few times. He is quite quick for a guy that tall, and good in the air. If I was a betting man, and I am, I’d say he’ll be the lone forward for Palace next season if he continues getting games to the end of this season.”
Yep for someone so tall, he looks extremely quick, and quite nimble. I read he often plays wide as well, but prefers the No 9 role.
22 min: Wan-Bissaka has done well so far against Sanchez and Young on Palace’s right side. Young is being booed, but I’m not exactly sure why.
@michaelbutler18 just don´t.https://t.co/7HowFC3w20
— ((( ɹǝzuɐdʞuǝp ))) (@DenkpanzerNK) March 5, 2018
20 min: Lukaku and Sanchez combine with a lovely one-two and it’s only a clever nudge from Van Aanholt that stops Lukaku applying an easy finish six yards out.
18 min: Matic is the latest to have his pocket picked, this time by Sorloth, who runs directly at goal, cuts inside on his favoured left foot and drives a low shot at De Gea. It’s all Palace.
15 min: Pogba has been poor. A lazy pass is easily intercepted and then he concedes another corner after good work from Townsend. It’s another peach of a delivery from Townsend, with Matic just about scrambling it clear from the six-yard box. Nobody in United’s team is taking any authority defensively. Panic stations.
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1-0 Great play by Benteke. He latches onto a nice pass from Milivojevic, gets one on one with Smalling on the edge of Manchester United’s box, squares the ball to Townsend, who hits it first time, it cannons off Lindelof’s shoulder and flies into the top corner. De Gea didn’t even dive, he was completely wrongfooted. Palace probably just about deserve that lead.
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester United (Townsend 11)
Palace take the lead! A wicked deflection leaves De Gea with no chance!
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8 min: “Sorloth seems a proper Hodgson signing from the Scandinavian leagues, his old stomping ground,” emails Kevin Wilson. “When he saved Fulham from the drop they were helped by the signings of Hangeland and to a lesser extent Nevland.”
And the lesser spotted Bjørn Helge Riise.
6 min: Great save by Hennessey! Lukaku does well to latch onto a ball down the right, hooks a ball towards Sanchez at the back post, who has a free header on the penalty spot. Hennessey had come to claim the cross, mis-judged the flight and instead made a point-blank save, the ball bouncing off Sanchez’s forehead, then Hennessey’s face, and then clear off his shoulder. That’s a let off for Palace.
5 min: Palace break, Van Aanholt plays the ball forward, Smalling slices it and then it bounces off Lindelof’s knee for a corner. That is terrible defending. Townsend crosses and Tomkins sends a wayward overhead kick wide.
4 min: Townsend, who is sporting an unsettling amount of hair these days, centres his first inswinging cross of the night. It misses everyone, with Benteke unable to get to it at the back post. Both Lindelof and Smalling look nervy.
2 min: Valencia accidentally strikes Van Aanholt in the face, the Dutchman crumpling in a heap. An early break in play.
Peeeeeeeep! And we’re off.
Micky Carrick. Paddy Van Aanholt. Jim McArthur.
@michaelbutler18 'Tony' Martial now? Are we going Andrew Cole on this?
— Paul Neilan (@pjnellbone) March 5, 2018
We’re five minutes away from kick-off here. Palace are in their classic red and blue, Manchester United are in their changed grey/silver kit.
Big game for Andros Townsend. He’s the most dangerous player in Palace’s midfield and will be expected to provide plenty of crosses for 6ft4in Sorloth, and 6ft3in Benteke.
Fonsu-Mensah is cup-tied – he’s on loan from Old Trafford of course – so it’s a second Premier Leaue start for Wan-Bissaka at right back.
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This is Alexis Sanchez’s second trip to Selhurst Park this season.
The Chilean scored twice in December, but felt a little bit put out that his then Arsenal team-mates didn’t want to celebrate with him.
I’m excited to see Alexander Sørloth properly for the first time. Apart from one YouTube video and some highlights of his two Palace appearances since his January move from Danish side Midtjylland, I’ll admit I don’t know much about him apart from the fact he is 6ft4in and has immaculate hair. Palace fans, anybody want to shed some light?
Feel free to email michael.butler@theguardian.com or tweet @michaelbutler18 with thoughts, predictions and suggestions for the next book I should be reading.
Palace welcome back Jeffrey Schlupp and Martin Kelly, Schlupp hasn’t played since early January, and will act as a defensive winger tonight.
Manchester United make just the one change from the team that beat Chelsea: matchwinner Jesse Lingard comes in for Tony Martial, who has picked up a knock.
Fun fact: Palace have never beaten Manchester United in the Premier League, losing 14 and drawing three. The last time Palace beat United in the top flight, John Solako and Ian Wright scored in a 3-0 win in May 1991, Paul Pogba was yet to be conceived and this banger was top of the charts.
Team news
Crystal Palace: Hennessey; Wan-Bissaka, Kelly, Tomkins, Van Aanholt; Townsend, McArthur, Milivojevic, Schlupp; Sørloth, Benteke.
Subs: Lee, Cavalieri, Souare, Delaney, Rakip, Jach, Riedewald.
Manchester United: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelöf, Young; McTominay, Matic, Pogba; Sánchez, Lingard, Lukaku.
Subs: Bailly, Mata, Carrick, Rashford, Shaw, Darmian, Joel Pereira.
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Preamble
How Wilfried Zaha would love to be playing in this game. Since returning to Crystal Palace from Manchester United, the Ivory Coast international has been nothing short of a revelation: loved by the fans, feared by pretty much every right back in the land - he’s probably the best player in the Premier League outside the so-called Big Six (alongside Riyad Mahrez). But, along with a dozen others, he is still injured, meaning Roy Hodgson has to try and cobble together a side to face Manchester United tonight. When Zaha hasn’t played, Palace have lost all eight of their league matches this season, conceding 18, scoring just once.
But Selhurst Park under the lights is special. Soon enough, Palace will have a new stadium - or at least a gleaming glass/steel shell built around the existing stands - but these south London suburbs come alive at night. The fans are up there with the best in the league, and many teams have come unstuck here in the past. This season, Chelsea have been beaten here, Manchester City held to a 0-0 draw. Following Swansea’s revival in recent weeks, Palace have slipped back into the relegation zone but if they can hobble through a tough March without falling further behind (Manchester United home, Chelsea away, Huddersfield away, Liverpool home), they’ve got a pretty kind run-in with their last two games against the two teams below them: Stoke and West Brom. Woof.
But that’s still a way away. Manchester United, carrying six injuries of their own, are very beatable. Jose Mourinho still has a wealth of options of course. Paul Pogba was man of the match in this fixture last season, and should start tonight, although Mourinho may have one eye on this weekend’s clash with Liverpool’s and next week’s Champions League second leg with Sevilla. The title race may be run, but there’s plenty to play for here - it feels like anything could happen.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT
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