Manchester United Held to Frustrating 0-0 Draw by Crystal Palace Despite Onana’s Heroics

Manchester United were left ruing missed opportunities and had goalkeeper Andre Onana to thank for a point as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

 

Despite dominating large parts of the game, United could not find a breakthrough and needed a remarkable double save from Onana to deny Palace their first Premier League win of the season.

 

The visitors came close to scoring twice in the first half, with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes both hitting the bar. United, who suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat on their last visit to Selhurst Park in May, dominated possession and created the better chances, but were unable to make their pressure count.

 

Andre Onana’s double save in the second half was the standout moment of the game, as the Cameroonian goalkeeper first parried a long-range effort from Eddie Nketiah and then reacted quickly to deny Ismaila Sarr from close range. Onana’s heroics kept United from slipping to a third league defeat in five games this season.

 

United manager Erik ten Hag made the surprising decision to drop Marcus Rashford to the bench, despite the forward scoring three times in the past week. Instead, Garnacho started on the left wing and caused Palace plenty of problems early on, though he couldn’t convert his chances. Former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson also played a key role in keeping Palace in the game, making crucial saves to deny Garnacho, Matthijs de Ligt, and Lisandro Martinez.

 

United hit the woodwork twice in quick succession midway through the first half. Garnacho curled a shot off the post after being played in by Diogo Dalot, and Fernandes’ follow-up effort also clipped the bar, leaving United frustrated going into halftime.

 

Palace improved after the break, with manager Oliver Glasner introducing Jefferson Lerma and Ismaila Sarr at halftime. The changes sparked a more competitive second half, and Palace came close to stealing a win. Eberechi Eze, who had a quiet first half, missed a golden opportunity to score late on, side-footing wide with the goal at his mercy.

 

Despite their dominance, United lacked the cutting edge to break down a resilient Palace defense, leaving them in 11th place in the Premier League with just two wins from their opening five matches. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, remain in 16th, still searching for their first victory of the season.

 

The result is a setback for United, who had scored 10 goals in their last two matches, including a 3-0 win over Southampton and a 7-0 demolition of Barnsley in the League Cup. Ten Hag’s side will be frustrated not to have built on that momentum, especially given their struggles at the start of the Premier League campaign.

 

Crystal Palace, though relieved to earn a point, will also feel they could have snatched all three had they been more clinical in front of goal.