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Manchester United were unable to find the back of the net in a goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday evening.
It was two points dropped as Man United were the clearly dominant side on the day, controlling the flow of the match throughout.
But while Erik ten Hag should be concerned with his attacking lineup’s inability to convert any of their 15 shots and make the most of 67% possession, one area where he can feel satisfied is with his defence.
Showing physical dominance against the 17th placed team in the Premier League, United were unwilling to give Palace even the slightest opportunity to get a shot on goal. In fact, it took until the 44th minute for Palace to create their first scoring opportunity.
Despite being their first attempt, Palace came close to breaking the deadlock, with Eberechi Eze lurking on the edge of the box with space around him. Fortunately, it was goalkeeper Andre Onana who came to the rescue, making a solid save following what was a tricky grounded shot to deal with.
In the second half, it was Onana yet again who emerged as United’s hero. Eddie Nketiah struck a thunderous shot at the bottom right corner, however, a focused Onana performed an impressive save. Suddenly, the rebound fell to Ismaïla Sarr, who was just metres out from goal. Yet again, it was the United shot stopper who saved the day, rapidly rising to his feet to block the close-range shot.
During second half stoppage time, United avoided heartbreak as Palace produced a threatening corner, only for Onana to jump up and swipe the ball out of danger.
These were just a few of the moments of brilliance exhibited by Onana, who is consistently proving his worth as United’s first-choice keeper.
In total, Onana produced four saves, three of which came from within the box. Thanks to his decent positioning and top organisation of his defenders, the Cameroonian had no need to produce any run outs or high claims.
Taking 50 touches throughout the match, Onana completed just one of his seven long balls – disappointing given how strong his passing game usually is.
On the flip side, he completed 33 of his 40 short passes for 83% accuracy.
Aside from producing some fine saves with his gloves, Onana also defended well with his feet, producing a crucial clearance to safeguard his clean sheet.
While there was plenty to criticise regarding United’s attacking performance, Onana can feel assured that he did everything in his power to lift United to victory. Ultimately, it was United’s attack that proved insufficient, as Onana and his defence remained impenetrable.
(Stats via Sofascore)
Feature image Harriet Lander via Getty Images
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