3 key passes, 3/6 long balls: United midfielder proves his importance in frustrating goalless draw with Crystal Palace

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For Manchester United, Saturday evening was one to forget as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park by a struggling Crystal Palace.

Heading into the match with just two points in their first four matches, Palace were hovering in 17th place in the Premier League, making them an ideal team for Man United to snatch a valuable three points from away from home.

Throughout the encounter, it was indeed the visitors who remained dominant, retaining a mammoth 67% possession and taking 15 shots. This reality made United’s failure to win all the more disappointing.

Despite their woes in front of goal, one area where United impressed was in the midfield, clearly dictating the flow of play with some slick passing, creative runs, and numerous lucrative scoring opportunities. Perhaps the main playmaker at the heart of United’s midfield was Christian Eriksen.

Undoubtedly one of his team’s best passers, Eriksen produced a passing accuracy of 88%, with 51 of his 58 attempted passes finding their targets.

Three of his long balls were on target, as were two of his eight attempted crosses, one of the few areas where the Dane’s performance fell short.

One of Eriksen’s crosses from a free kick almost resulted in a breakthrough for United as the ball brushed the hand of a Palace player. However, the referee determined that there wasn’t enough in it to award a penalty.

Still, he produced three key passes, each of which could have resulted in a goal had Erik ten Hag’s front line been more effective.

Perhaps the poorest aspect of Eriksen’s gameplay was his physicality, as is often the case. He only won one of his total duels, namely a ground duel. He failed to emerge victorious in either of his aerial battles.

Defensively, it was a decent showing from Eriksen, who completed a tackle as well as an interception to swing the flow of play in United’s favour. In the entire encounter, he was only dribbled past once, showing his composure as he tracked back to support his defence.

Eriksen was nonexistent up front, taking no shots and also attempting no dribbles. This was understandable, however, as Eriksen was clearly playing a deeper role in the midfield as a playmaker, seldom running into the final third.

All in all, Eriksen produced an admirable performance during what was a frustrating match for United fans to endure. Fortunately, they can rest assured that Eriksen remains a reliable and consistent midfield option who performs his primary duties to the highest standard.

(Stats via Sofascore)

Feature image Harriet Lander via Getty Images

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