Crystal Palace vs Manchester United: Player ratings

Former Manchester United player Wilfried Zaha ws a handful for the Red Devils

Crystal Palace

Wayne Hennessey: 6.5/10

The goalkeeper was calm when he needed to step up and communicated well with his defence. A charging stop against Wayne Rooney when he was played clear stands out in particular.

Martin Kelly: 6/10

Took on the challenge of dealing with Martial fairly well, and moved forward when required, supporting Wilfried Zaha to the hilt.

Scott Dann: 7/10

The experienced Englishman, a longtime servant of Palace, distinguished himself with a controlled performance in defence while proving a threat from set pieces. Performances like these clearly vindicated Alan Pardew’s move to rebuff Everton’s advances for the man.

Damien Delaney: 6/10

A decent performance by the man, delivering exactly what was required of him in the situation, but largely overshadowed by Scott Dann’s excellent showing.

Joel Ward: 6.5/10

Competing directly with Pape Souare for the position, Ward distinguished himself today by proving a key element in Palace’s offensive buildups. His passing was largely clean and though United was largely able to attack down the right, Ward escapes censure on that count with United failing to finish.

Yohan Cabaye: 7.5/10

The most surprising element of Cabaye remains his largely unaffected ability to influence games despite an unhappy stint at PSG. Clearly the standout performer in either midfield, Cabaye often launched meaty balls forward, but Dwight Gayle failed to capitalize. His work in defence meanwhile would have Jose Mourinho wish he could swap Cabaye for Fabregas in terms of impact at the moment.

James McArthur: 6/10

McArthur, like Mile Jedinak, embodies the Eagles’ midfield bar a superstar like Cabaye: quiet, disciplined, and unafraid to fight for the ball. McArthur provided a stabilizing influence between Ward’s desire to attack and Yannick Bolasie’s clever play.

Wilfried Zaha: 6.5/10

In his second stint as an Eagle, against the very club which failed to utilize him as he’d have had it, Zaha impressed against Marcos Rojo, though occasional rushes of blood denied him the effectiveness Yannick Bolasie had. Combined well with Jason Puncheon and Dwight Gayle, eventually getting Rojo booked, in an emphatic declaration of his victory in his little battle against the Argentine.

Jason Puncheon: 7/10

One of Palace’s shrewdest signings in recent years, Puncheon, unusually behind the striker, did well to rein his own skill in and let Bolasie and Zaha run wild, aided by Cabaye. Such an understanding of United’s weaknesses cruelly pitted the template of an attacking midfielder United would love to have at the moment right against them. Intelligence is a virtue and Puncheon doubtlessly showed some of it today.

Yannick Bolasie: 8.5/10

It is easy to see why Palace have a tough time keeping this firecracker at Selhurst Park through every transfer window. Bolasie made life hard for Darmian on United’s right while being unafraid to switch flanks on occasion. A talent Palace would do well to keep if they want to upgrade as challengers for a European spot.

Dwight Gayle: 5/10

One of the main reasons of the goalless game today was the strikers failing to turn up. Gayle was regularly played in by the midfielders but was prone to losing the ball too often or firing soft shots at De Gea. Was fairly nippy in movement and played a part in getting Marcos Rojo booked towards the end of the game.

Substitutes

Mile Jedinak: 5/10

The Australian came late in the second half for Cabaye, with Pardew looking to neutralize Marouane Fellaini and slotted in effortlessly, ensuring this largely neutral rating.