Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed disappointment over his team’s lack of finishing after they squandered several scoring opportunities in a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Despite dominating the first half, with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes both hitting the bar, United failed to find the back of the net at Selhurst Park.
A superb double save from goalkeeper Andre Onana kept United in the game after the break, denying Palace their first Premier League win of the season. The result leaves United in 11th place, having won just two of their first five matches this season.
“I’m not content, we should have won,” Ten Hag said. “We played very well in the first half and had total control of the game, but we weren’t clinical in the box where it matters.”
The draw comes just four months after United’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at Selhurst Park, marking the low point of a difficult season. Ten Hag, who was under pressure after that defeat, was given a second chance following United’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
United came into this game in good form, having scored 10 goals in their last two matches, including a 3-0 win over Southampton and a 7-0 thrashing of Barnsley in the League Cup. However, Ten Hag’s decision to bench Marcus Rashford, who had scored three goals in those matches, raised eyebrows.
Garnacho, who started on the left, looked dangerous early on but failed to convert chances. Former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson kept Palace in the game, making key saves against Garnacho and Lisandro Martinez. United were unlucky not to score when Garnacho and Fernandes both struck the woodwork in quick succession.
Crystal Palace improved after halftime, following a double substitution by manager Oliver Glasner. “In the first half, we needed a great goalkeeper, and fortunately, we had one today,” Glasner said. “The second half was more like a typical Crystal Palace performance.”
United came close to breaking the deadlock again when Fernandes’ outside-of-the-boot effort narrowly missed. But the best moment came when Onana made a sensational double save, denying Eddie Nketiah’s shot and then preventing Ismaila Sarr from scoring on the rebound.
“It’s not so important how I made the double save because we didn’t win,” Onana said. “It’s disappointing to go home with just one point when we deserved more.”
