Patrick Vieira gives verdict on Premier League title race after Man Utd slip up against Crystal Palace
Patrick Vieira is confident Manchester United are still capable of challenging Arsenal for the Premier League title, despite blowing the opportunity to pile the pressure on the league leaders ahead of Sunday’s heavyweight showdown.
Erik ten Hag’s side looked on course to record a tenth straight win in all competitions and move to within six points of the Premier League leaders ahead of their weekend trip to the Emirates Stadium.
Michael Olise’s stunning injury-time free-kick earned Crystal Palace an unlikely draw and United’s frustration was compounded by the suspension Casemiro will be forced to serve after he picked up his fifth caution of the season.
Palace manager Vieira, who was at the centre of many a heated battle between United and Arsenal during his heyday, refused to be drawn into making a prediction ahead of the six-pointer but feels confident both teams have what it takes to challenge for the title with Manchester City.
‘I have enough on my plate thinking about Newcastle so I think it will be a good game of footbal’ he said when asked who would come out on top on Sunday.
‘ It’s two teams who want to be in the Champions League or winning the title I think both teams can win the league because of the quality of the players they have. I will be like you and watching the game.’
Ten Hag, meanwhile, insisted he was satisfied with his side’s performance against the Eagles but warned they must learn to kill opposition teams off after they were pegged back at the death.
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‘We dropped two points,’ he said. ‘When you’re winning with two minutes to go…
‘You [Palace] don’t create anything except one which was a corner and this one was a free-kick from far. You don’t expect to drop points.
‘We have to invest more to get that second goal and then not be in that situation that a lucky moment costs you two points.
‘We were 1-0 up. In the second half we had a lot of space to kill them and go for the second. I never saw we really went for the second goal.
‘It’s difficult to say [why] . I have to criticise my team. Go for the second. Bruno and Rashy on the wings, Garnacho, a lot of creativity, speed and power, and McTominay with penetration behind.’
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