We learnt three things as Man United dropped two crucial points in the title race against Crystal Palace as Michael Olise scored a late equaliser for the home side. The match ended in a draw, preventing the Red Devils from moving up to second place.

Erik ten Hag criticised his team for not securing the win and allowing the Eagles to come back in the final minutes. He also mentioned that Man United were denied a penalty and that they can still beat Arsenal without Casemiro, who was booked in the later stages of the match against Crystal Palace and will now be suspended for the upcoming match against the Gunners.

Crystal Palace’s manager, Patrick Vieira, told Sky Sports (via MEN):

“We earned the draw. It was a tough match against a strong team. It was challenging for us to contain them but we managed to stay in the game.”

“In the last 15 minutes we put pressure on them. Michael scored that free-kick. It was tough, we worked hard and we got rewarded.”

1. Casemiro Will Be Missed In The Crucial Game Against Arsenal

Casemiro, who has been a key player for Man United since joining from Real Madrid in the summer, will be suspended for the upcoming match against Arsenal due to a yellow card received against Crystal Palace.

Despite this, United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, remains optimistic and believes that the team can still win without Casemiro, citing a previous victory against Arsenal without him. The Brazilian midfielder has been instrumental in United’s success this season, contributing to just two losses in the 18 games he has started.

2. Michael Olise Is A Talent

Michael Olise’s performance against Manchester United was impressive, as he scored a stunning late equaliser for Crystal Palace. He fired a superb free-kick in off the crossbar to sink the Red Devils, who were cruising to victory after Bruno Fernandes’ early goal. Olise’s goal brought an end to Manchester United’s winning run. He secured a share of the spoils for his team and showed his skill and potential as a player.

Michael Olise is the first player to score a 90th minute equaliser via a direct free-kick in the #PL since Lucas Digne in December 2018 💫#CRYMUN pic.twitter.com/xYQGPH5Wjo

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 18, 2023

3. United Have Now Lost Some Of Their Momentum

Ten Hag will be without key players Martial and Casemiro for the upcoming match against the Gunners. Against Patrick Vieira’s men, crucial saves from De Gea and a defensive play by Wan Bissaka kept the team from losing. This close call serves as a reminder for the team to be vigilant against Arsenal and prevent them from dominating the game.

The coach noted that while the team had control of the match and scored a goal, it was not a standout performance and there is room for improvement, specifically in terms of capitalising on opportunities to score more goals. The team will look to learn from this experience and make adjustments for future matches.

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The defensive efforts of Crystal Palace’s pairing of Marc Guehi and Chris Richards were causing concern for the United team. Crystal Palace has not been performing well recently, with only one win in their last eight matches. Despite a promising start to the season under Vieira, the team has not progressed as much as expected.

The defense was poor, and Manchester United took advantage of it. Vieira had no complaints, while United’s manager, Ten Hag, only expressed disappointment that his team had not been able to convert their dominance into a bigger lead, which would ultimately lead to a close match.

The game lacked creativity with Man United maintaining control and limiting Crystal Palace to counter-attacks. The Red Devils has a crucial match against Arsenal, while Crystal Palace will play against Newcastle United on Saturday.

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