Manchester United rocked by Wilfried Zaha double for Crystal Palace

Manchester United were dour in an opening-game loss that ended a 14-match unbeaten Premier League run. Crystal Palace’s second goal was a controversial penalty from Wilfried Zaha, a retake because David de Gea was ruled to have left his line when saving Jordan Ayew’s initial effort. But really there can be no excuses for the way United’s frontline was starved throughout due to a concerning lack of energy and creativity.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær offered an honest analysis. “You can see we are short and they deserved the points,” said the manager. “They were sharper than us in challenges, tackles. We started slowly and that had a knock‑on effect for the rest of the game when they scored the first goal.”

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With only Donny van de Beek signed in the window and a deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho still not sealed, Solskjær was asked if he needs more acquisitions. “We can play so much better than today,” the Norwegian said. “If you look at the players we have on the pitch and on the bench and not [even] here we have to look within first and know we can perform better.

“But we are always looking to improve – if there is something available at the right place. But we can all look at ourselves in the mirror.”

Roy Hodgson was delighted after a second consecutive win. “It was a very difficult start,” said Palace’s manager of this and the victory over Southampton. “The six points we have, no one can take from us.”

There was deserved praise for the effervescent Zaha. “He has the same level of importance to us as all the star and very dangerous players who make and score goals for other teams, just like Vardy is important to Leicester, Fernandes and Rashford to Man United, and the new Chelsea forwards.”

Palace struck on seven minutes when Jeffrey Schlupp was allowed space to roam along the left. His cross was watched by a slumbering Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, and Andros Townsend slid home. Palace were in charge and United had to awaken. The visitors were quick to the challenge and fleeter of foot, as when Zaha drew a foul from a labouring Paul Pogba.

As the interval neared there was a sense of a bitty contest in which United were paying for their lack of concentration. A Tyrick Mitchell and James McCarthy challenge on Pogba in the area that took the Frenchman down was checked by VAR for a penalty but nothing was given. That this was about as close as United came to threatening the lead summed up their first half.

When his players strolled off for the break Solskjær had some serious sorting-out to do. His move was the replacing of an ineffective Daniel James with Mason Greenwood for the second half. In a contest in which United had created little, Solskjær will have reasoned the youngster’s lethal finishing could be telling.

It is at the other end where United have deeper-lying concerns, the shaky rearguard this time allowing Townsend to feed Ayew who, despite having Victor Lindelöf and Shaw in attendance, could unload at De Gea.

Palace were taking the game to United. The effective Townsend claimed a corner when his shot was deflected. Zaha out-hustled Maguire to win a header. Hodgson’s plan was doing a job impressively on Palace’s hosts.

Greenwood was yet to be involved, the problem a malfunctioning United midfield that meant no supply line. Soon, though, a chance was created for him. Timothy Fosu-Mensah curved the ball over from the right and a headline was waiting to be written as the No 11 rose, only for him to fluff – badly – a header that careered wide.

Still, United had at last shifted gears, Fernandes’s chip into the area splaying Palace, who were fortunate to escape. But a little later they saw a Zaha strike ruled offside.

On 67 minutes Van de Beek was given his debut, brought on for the disappointing Pogba. United felt the same emotion when Martin Atkinson, after consulting the monitor, gave the penalty, the referee ruling that Lindelöf’s hand was in an unnatural position when it was struck by Ayew’s shot. The decision looked harsh, as did what ensued when De Gea made the save from Ayew.

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VAR again intervened, this time deeming the Spaniard to have moved. Zaha slammed home the retaken penalty.

Solskjær said: “I feel it is not a penalty because I think the ball comes from so close to Vic, where can he put his hands? The decision to retake was the right one if you follow the rules because both heels were one inch off the line.”

After Van de Beek’s slide-rule finish on 80 minutes, Zaha made it 3-1 with a fine finish and, despite pressing in added time, United finished their opening game empty-handed.

“We have already started playing catch-up,” said Solskjær.