MIST OPPORTUNITY
Crystal Palace 0 Man Utd 0: Cavani, Rashford and Greenwood misfire in fog as Red Devils make it three games without goal
AS 21st celebrations go this was hardly a walk on the wild side.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw his side stretch their unbeaten Prem away run to 21 matches.
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But the only thing worth toasting at a freezing Selhurst Park after this would have been his tootsies.
There was certainly not much on the pitch entertainment-wise to warm the heart - especially in a second half that matched anything in terms of tedium seen at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Dressed like a dazzle of zebras, a far from dazzling United once again looked anything but big-game hunters.
After their stalemate at Chelsea, Solskjaer admitted he was miffed and mystified by his stars’ inability to find the net against their top-six rivals.
Well, they showed here they are just struggling to score against the big-boys - as their frontmen found it tough going against a unspectacular Palace side
United had so much of the ball at times it resembled a training session - only with less intensity.
Solskjaer’s sloppy side were misplacing passes and failing to create chances long before the miss started to descend on Selhurst Park in the second half.
Not even the fog could hide the Red Devils attacking ineptitude as fired blanks in the capital for the second time in a little over 72 hours.
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Solskjaer was dealt a blow before kick-off when keeper David de Gea was ruled out due to “personal reasons”.
The Spaniard’s replacement Dean Henderson had to be alert to avoid being embarrassed by a sixth-minute Andros Townsend free-kick which evaded everyone after it was whipped into the box from the touchline.
Christian Benteke then volleyed over for the Eagles as the visitors started slowly.
But Nemanja Matic’s deflected volley - superbly tipped over the bar by Palace keeper Vicente Guaita - sparked United into life.
And after Edinson Cavani had sidefooted over from the resulting corner, United began to assert control.
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Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood both fired shots wide of the target as the hosts dropped deeper and deeper.
But the lack of cutting edge that has blighted United in their clashes with the rest of the top six was all-too evident again here as they failed to find a breakthrough before the break.
Palace probably could not believe their luck to face a United side so blunt in attack.
The Eagles are hardly razor-sharp in that department themselves having failed to register a shot on target in their goalless draw at home to Fulham on Sunday.
They at least ended that damning statistic when Jordan Ayew’s goalbound shot was comfortably saved by Henderson in the 50th minute.
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Townsend then bounced one just wide of the far post - with Henderson rooted to the spot - after Luka Milivojevic’s free kick had been blocked by the United wall.
Sub Daniel James fluffed a close-range header and Greenwood blazed a shot over the bar as United pressed for a late winner.
But they would have lost had Henderson not produced a fabulous last-gasp block to deny Patrick van Aanholt.
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That really would have been the icing on a crappy cake for United.
For them, the key to the door of the Premier League trophy cabinet feels light years away.
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