Manchester United Rue Missed Chances in Stalemate with Crystal Palace
If the barometer of progress for Erik Ten Hag’s team was to better last seasons embarrassing 4-0 thrashing at Selhurst Park, United achieved that on Saturday but they will undoubtedly feel a 0-0 draw is two points dropped.
Seven points from a possible 15 in United’s first five league games isn’t ideal however there was a vast improvement in how the team played and plenty of positives to take.
Questions were raised regarding no natural defensive midfielder when the team was announced, however Ten Hag got it right with the starting eleven. We have heard the Dutchman previously claim when playing Eriksen, he wants “more football” and the team certainly delivered that. United were dominant in possession and controlled the game for the most part (67%) with former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson winning ‘Man of the Match” and making some fantastic saves to keep Palace in the game. With an xG of 1.7 created, on another day the United forwards are more clinical taking their chances, and Ten Hag’s team take all three points.
The result will feel like a major missed opportunity for Manchester United early in the season. They largely dominated the game, yet repeatedly saw significant chances not taken. For much of the match, until the momentum faded towards the end, it seemed like this performance was just a goal away from being one of the most complete under Erik ten Hag. However, it wasn’t to be.
United missed five big chances (including Garnacho and Fernandes hitting the woodwork) and they are now the team in the Premier League with the most ‘big chances missed’ with 17. Whilst the team showed big improvements and dictated the tempo of the game, they still lacked that ruthless finishing touch to turn that dominance into goals.
The longer the match went without a goal, the more it felt like United were chasing the game. The team reverted back to familiar frailties, far too open to being countered as we attacked in search of a winning goal.
On 61 minutes, Joshua Zirkzee was subbed off for Marcus Rashford but the change made them less effective compared to their intricate first-half play. According to StatsZone, from kick off to the 61st minute (prior to Zirkzee leaving the pitch) United had made 91 passes into the final third, from the 61st minute to full time United made just 17. The ‘facilitator’ profile Joshua Zirkzee brings to this United team has already been evidently positive in only a handful of games. He may not ever be a prolific goalscorer for the club (as his coach Ruud Van Nistelrooy once was), but with Zirkzee on the pitch, he will undoubtedly help create chances for the team. Manuel Ugarte on for Eriksen at 76 minutes created an even more notable lack of control and as the game slipped away, United began to look vulnerable, highlighting the need to have stuck to the initial plan of possession to try break Palace down.
On the defensive side, United were mostly solid. That is now four clean sheets in their last six Premier League games going back to last season. Last year’s campaign saw United often concede as many as 20 shots on goal per game, but they limited Crystal Palace to just nine with their first attempt on goal not coming until the 42nd minute. After last weekend’s penalty saving heroics, Andre Onana also delivered a standout double save, which was crucial to United getting a point in the game. The goalkeeper first saved Nketiah’s powerful low driven shot to his left before getting up quickly to his feet and block what looked like a certain ‘tap in’ on the rebound from Ismaila Sarr.
Noussair Mazraoui once again showed why he looks to be a bargain from Bayern Munich, showcasing such security in possession and how comfortable he is playing in tight spaces. His opposite full back, Diogo Dalot also contributed well, naturally inverting into midfield and always remaining calm under pressure. Joshua Zirkzee on another day could have had two assists if Garnacho and Fernandes converted the opportunities created for them by the Dutch forward. Kobbie Mainoo continued to show how valuable he is to this team, with his near perfect performances becoming the norm and somehow going under the radar. Matthijs De Ligt put in another monstrous performance and was unlucky to add to his goal tally this season with a downward header from a corner, stopped by Dean Henderon’s quick reactions with his feet.
It’s a frustrating draw for Manchester United but make no mistake, this was one of the best team performances under Erik Ten Hag. The improvements are there for all to see. More possession, more big chances being created and they seem to be much less vulnerable at the back compared to last season. There’s a lot to be optimistic about for United fans. The technical floor of the team has been raised, the players look organised and coached to translate their game to the pitch with a confidence and control that wasn’t there last season. All the elements of progress are evident, it’s turning that progress to points consistently which is the next step for United.
