Crystal Palace fell to a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, but Oliver Glasner’s side felt wronged at Old Trafford. Not least Maxence Lacroix’s sending off, which came when adjudged to have brought Matheus Cunha down in the box.
VAR intervened, and referee Chris Kavanagh reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor before brandishing a red card and awarding United a penalty. There has been outrage in response to the decision as the contact starts outside the box.
That wasn’t the only incident that riled up Palace fans during a controversial clash between the two sides. Harry Maguire’s reaction to a coming together with Jorgen Strand Larsen hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Maguire and Strand Larsen embroiled in a physical battle for most of the game. A wrestling match of sorts occurred during the first half, and the United defender won a free kick as a result.
When replays of their scrap were shown, it made for interesting viewing because Maguire was holding the Norwegian striker. Not only that, he headed the ball away but seemingly accused the Palace man of kicking him in the face.
Maguire pointed two fingers towards Kavanagh to suggest that it was the second time Strand Larsen had left a high boot on him. It was a strange reaction, and Sky Sports commentator Alan Smith realised the English centre-back’s theatrics.
There wasn’t much mention of the incident in the broadcast or from the punditry team. Maguire is enjoying a superb season, but his behaviour during his matchup with Strand Larsen wasn’t becoming that of the dominant defender he’s regarded as.
Palace’s controversial loss
Palace took the lead through Lacroix in the fourth minute when he met Adam Wharton’s corner with a superb header. The Eagles were in control until the penalty decision and the Frenchman’s sending off.
Bruno Fernandes scored from the spot, sending Dean Henderson the wrong way to equalise. The hosts made the most of their one-man advantage when Fernandes found Benjamin Sesko with a cross and the Slovenian striker headed home a winner.
Glasner rued the penalty and red card and felt the decision was “very harsh”, given contact started outside the box. The defeat means his side fell to 14th in the Premier League table with 35 points from 28 games.
Next up for the South Londoners is a trip to relegation-battling Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday (March 5th). They look likely to be without Lacroix for that game.
