Manchester United win after VAR made another controversial call; Other results

Manchester United are definitely the in-form team in the Premier League since the league restart and after the disappointment of Southampton’s late equaliser on Monday, bounced back with three points against Crystal Palace in a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park.

They have the best points-per-game record of any team since the restart.

United maintained their relentless pursuit of a place in the Champions League next season with a hard-fought win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Solskjaer’s side were under pressure after Leicester City’s earlier victory over Sheffield United and responded with a victory that keeps them in fifth place, level on points with the Foxes but with an inferior goal difference.

Goals from Marcus Rashford (45+1) and Anthony Martial (78) at Selhurst Park took them back level on points with fourth-placed Leicester City, who are set to play United on the final day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPn8JhVcYA

It extended United’s unbeaten run to 19 games in all competitions, and Solskjaer believes United, who are still in the FA Cup and Europa League, have set themselves up for a thrilling end to the season.

United was made to work for their victory, Marcus Rashford breaking the deadlock with a stylish finish in first-half stoppage turning provider for the second in a sweet move involving Bruno Fernandes that was rounded off by Anthony Martial in the 78th minute.

Palace felt a real sense of injustice, furious that they were denied a penalty just before United took the lead when Wilfried Zaha tangled with Victor Lindelof and then saw a potential 55th-minute equaliser from Jordan Ayew ruled out by VAR for a very marginal offside.

It meant Roy Hodgson’s side slumped to their sixth consecutive league loss and their night was made worse when defender Patrick van Aanholt suffered a dislocated shoulder after trying to prevent Martial scoring United’s second.

Palace’s season is fizzling out after their latest loss, the promise of that impressive first post-lockdown win at Bournemouth seems an age away.

This, however, was no tame surrender and Palace gave a good account of themselves, only to be undone by United’s quality.

And certainly, Hodgson and his players will feel they were hard done by when their appeals for a penalty as Zaha tangled with Lindelof were ignored.

Palace chairman, Steve Parish, expressed his frustration on social media. “Is the VAR broken? Serious question,” he tweets.

There was more frustration when Ayew’s 55th-minute finish at the far post from Zaha’s cross-shot was ruled out after a lengthy VAR inspection, the striker was ruled offside by the thinnest of margins.

“Certainly we are not fortunate at the moment. The gods of fortune are not smiling on us with certain decisions,” Hodgson says afterwards.

“We have won games and got good results against top teams like Manchester United playing a lot worse than we did tonight.”

Palace are comfortable in 14th place but there is no question the end to their season has been something of an anti-climax.

Stats and facts from the match

• United have gone unbeaten in their last 19 games in all competitions (W14 D5) – their longest run since a 29-game streak ending in November 2010 under Alex Ferguson.
• Roy Hodgson has lost six consecutive Premier League games for the first time since losing his last three with Blackburn in November 1998 and his first three with Fulham in January 2008.
• Palace remains winless in their last 16 home Premier League encounters against ‘big six’ sides (D3 L13) since a 2-1 victory against Chelsea in October 2017.
• Seven goals that were originally awarded against United have been overturned by VAR this season, the joint-most of any side in the Premier League this campaign (alongside Southampton and Brighton).
• Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have now assisted one another a combined seven times in this season’s Premier League, the most of any pairing in a single season for Man Utd in the competition.
• Timothy Fosu-Mensah made his first league appearance for United since May 2017, three years and 56 days ago; only Paul Pogba (4y 154d in Aug 2016) and Will Keane (4y 44d in Feb 2016) have had a long gap between appearances for the club in the Premier League.

Leicester 2 – 0 Sheffield United

A first-half strike by Ayoze Perez and Demarai Gray’s counter-attacking goal ensured the Foxes stay fourth, a point behind third-placed Chelsea with two games remaining.

Their win also means they qualified for next season’s Europa League at least.

But Leicester City’s manager, Brendan Rodgers, wants Leicester to secure Champions League football for a second time after becoming Premier League title-winners in 2016.

“The result gives us the second-highest Premier League finish in Leicester’s history. We have two games to go to create some more history,” he said.

“We all sat down at the start of the season and said, it would be a huge challenge for Leicester to get into Europe, so do that in my first season here, to guarantee that is a phenomenal achievement.”

The hosts, who dominated most of the game, went ahead when impressive 19-year-old debutant Luke Thomas crossed low to set up Perez after 29 minutes.

They should have extended their lead after the break when Harvey Barnes was twice denied by Blades goalkeeper Dean Henderson after clever through balls by Jamie Vardy.

The Foxes’ top scorer also hit the post, and it looked as though Sheffield United might be fortunate enough to equalise when Jack O’Connell’s shot was tipped wide by Kasper Schmeichel.

But, as the game hung in the balance, substitute Gray, on for Barnes, collected Vardy’s pass and beat Henderson to finally seal the win after 79 minutes.

Leicester’s victory was only their second in six games since the restart but it was a timely boost for Rodgers’ team, who are ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United on goal difference.

 

Everton 1 – 1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa have a difficult task on their hand and will probably have to win their last two matches against Arsenal and West Ham if they are to survive in the Premier League.

Smith’s side are three points from safety, with a home game against Arsenal next Tuesday followed by an away match at fellow strugglers West Ham on the final day of the Premier League season on 26 July to come.

Ezri Konsa had given Villa the lead in the 72nd minute, diverting home Conor Hourihane’s free-kick, but, after El Ghazi failed to turn home Jack Grealish’s cross from two yards out, Theo Walcott punished them by scoring a late equaliser for Everton against Aston Villa in a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park which leaves the visitors deep in relegation trouble.

Southampton 1 – 1 Brighton & Hove

Danny Ings’ 20th league goal of the season denied Brighton mathematical Premier League safety after a 1-1 draw at Southampton.

Neal Maupay had taken advantage of some sleepy Saints defending to fire Brighton ahead after 17 minutes, with the Seagulls knowing three points would secure their Premier League survival with two games to go.

But after a half-time double change from Ralph Hasenhuttl, Southampton re-emerged a different side for the second period and came inches from levelling thanks to a superb 20-yard curling effort from Ings, which was denied by the inside of the post.

The Golden Boot-chasing forward was not to be denied, however. With 66 minutes gone, his run off the Saints left was found by a perfect Nathan Redmond pass, and after Tariq Lamptey’s slip gave him a clear run on goal he confidently slotted home, to become Saints’ first 20-goal Premier League striker since James Beattie in 2003.

Jannik Vestergaard came close to a stunning winner when his 30-yard drive was tipped onto the bar by a fingertip Mat Ryan save, while substitute Yves Bissouma then missed a glorious chance to seal Brighton’s safety but fired comfortably wide when unmarked from 10 yards.