Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace: 5 Talking Points

Emmanuel Adebayor gets no service up front

Adebayor did not receive any support from the midfielders

When a striker with the physical attributes of Emmanuel Adebayor is playing as the lone striker, he requires one thing for certain – service from his midfielders. He barely received any thanks to some solid United defending.

Even when the ball found its way to the Togolese striker, he struggled to beat Smalling and Blind aerially to cause any threat to David de Gea’s goal. The fact that de Gea did not have to sting his palms even once was reflective of how inept Palace were in the final third.

With the likes of the big Sebastien Prodl to deal with in the FA Cup semi-final, Alan Pardew must get that aspect of their game right if they are to emerge victorious in that fixture.