Manchester United were left frustrated by Crystal Palace on Saturday evening, drawing 0-0 at Selhurst Park in the Premier League.
It was a day for both goalkeepers as Dean Henderson and Andre Onana both pulled off some fantastic saves to deny several potential goalscorers in South London.
United did hit the woodwork three times, although Lisandro Martinez was lucky not to be sent off for a bizarre challenge in the second half.
Both teams will leave rueing missed chances on what could have been a goal-fest on another day.
Read on for the full report from the match.
⏹️ The points are shared at Palace.#MUFC || #CRYMUN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 21, 2024
How it happened
Manchester United started the match on the front foot, with Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes central to United’s rhythm at Selhurst Park.
The first major chance came just 10 minutes in, with Alejandro Garnacho breaking through the Palace defence, only to be denied by Henderson’s outstretched arm.
This set the tone for what would become a stellar individual performance from the Palace goalkeeper.
United continued to push forward, and by the 27th minute, they had hit the woodwork twice in quick succession.
First, Diogo Dalot’s pass found Garnacho, whose curling shot struck the post, only for Fernandes’ follow-up effort to cannon off the crossbar.
Despite their dominance in possession, with 72% of the ball in the first half, United were unable to breach the Palace goal.
Despite the visitors first-half dominance, it remains goalless after 45 ⏸️
Will we see a breakthrough after the break? 🔓
HT: Palace 0-0 Man Utd#CRYMUN pic.twitter.com/1tx6oAVZLR
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 21, 2024
The Eagles, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm in the early stages, managing just one shot on target in the first half.
Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta attempted to launch counter-attacks but found themselves isolated against a well-organised Manchester United defence.
The second half saw a more balanced contest, with both teams creating dangerous opportunities.
Andre Onana pulled off an incredible double save, first saving Eddie Nketiah’s low strike from outside the box before throwing himself to the far post to deny Ismaila Sarr from point-blank range.
Martinez appeared lucky to escape a sending-off after diving in with two feet on Daichi Kamada and it meant United could stay in control of the match with 11 players still on the pitch.
United continued to press for a winner, with Rasmus Hojlund introduced as a late substitute to add more firepower to the attack.
Solid between the sticks 🧤
Crucial stops from both goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet each 😤 pic.twitter.com/kj3un0Yqj8
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 21, 2024
The forward nearly made an instant impact, but once again, Henderson was equal to the task, diving low to stop Garnacho’s curling shot.
In total, Manchester United struck the woodwork three times, with their frustrations compounded by Henderson’s heroics.
Despite controlling much of the game and creating more high-quality chances, United were unable to convert their dominance into goals, leaving them to rue a missed opportunity in South London.
For Crystal Palace, their defensive resilience, combined with Henderson’s goalkeeping masterclass, ensured they escaped with a valuable point, although it could have been more.
