Football news - Offside controversy as Manchester United stumble to draw with Crystal Palace

Boos rang out at Old Trafford as Manchester United lost more ground to their rivals with a goalless draw against Crystal Palace.

Romelu Lukaku, returning to the United line-up, saw a close-range strike controversially chalked off after he snaffled the rebound from an Ashley Young shot.

However Palace played well and had their chances. Andros Townsend missed the best of these, dragging the ball wide when clean through one-on-one. The visitors also had an offside goal of their own ruled out, from Cheikhou Kouyate.

Second-half sub Marouane Fellaini sported a new haircut but the same competitive edge; the Belgian was lucky to escape sanction for a studs-up challenge on Palace captain Luka Milivojevic.

The game petered out into a draw as United’s poor home form continue as they move to 7th in the table, 14 points behind leaders Manchester City, while the Eagles are 15th.

Will United make the top four by the end of December as Mourinho predicted? United are six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham. And given their performance today and in the derby defeat to Manchester City where they looked leaky at the back and toothless up front, you cannot see how. He threw on all his aces in the second half but none of them delivered while Pogba and Lukaku faded in the second half.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace): The full-back, who turns 21 on Monday, has a bright future. He has the pace and positional play and was helped by a solid Palace defensive unit.

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea 7, Darmian 5, Smalling 5, Lindelof 5, Young 6, Matic 5, Pogba 5, Mata 6, Lingard 5, Martial 6, Lukaku 6. Subs: Fellaini 4, Rashford 5, Sanchez 3,

CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey 8, Wan-Bissaka 8, Tomkins 8, Sakho 8, van Aanholt 4, McArthur 5, Milivojevic 8, Kouyate 7, Meyer 6, Townsend 6, Zaha 6. Subs: Schlupp n/a, Ayew n/a

21’ - WHAT AN EFFORT! Lingard gives the ball away, Zaha with another 25-yarder which goes inches wide with De Gea at full stretch.

26’ - WHAT A CHANCE! Palace break, Meyer feeds Zaha who rolls it across to van Aanholt who skews his shot horribly wide!

27’ - WHAT A CHANCE! Sakho is booked for a rugby challenge on Lingard who had dispossessed him. Its a free-kick in a dangerous position, Mata's delivery is headed wide by Smalling at the far post after the keeper was in no-mans land, he should have scored!

30’ - GREAT SAVE! Hennessey's brilliant diving stop keeps out Lingard's effort, it comes back to Martial whose header is straight at the keeper.

43’ - DISALLOWED GOAL! Meyer is tripped by Lindelof, that is a cheap free-kick in a dangerous area. The ball in is a good one and Kouyate heads it in but he is flagged offside.

56’ - DISALLOWED GOAL! Young's drive is parried by Hennessey, it falls to Lukaku who puts in the rebound but he is flagged offside.

64’ - GOOD SAVE! Townsend sends in a cross and De Gea blocks Kouyate's effort from distance and he keeps out the rebound from van Aanholt.

70’ - SHOCKING CHALLENGE! Milivojevic goes down in agony after a horror late studs up challenge from Fellaini. He did not even get a booking, it could have easily been a red.

74’ - WHAT A CHANCE! Sakho finds Townsend who bursts forward, it bobbles past three players and hes through on goal but puts it wide.

David De Gea played in his 250th league match. Peter Schmeichel is the only keeper to make more appearances in Man Utd’s Premier League history (252).

Palace are winless in eight matches in all competitions, drawing two and losing six.