Alex Howell, BBC Sport
Michael Olise’s free-kick in stoppage time meant Crystal Palace avoided picking up a fourth consecutive home defeat in all competitions.
There had been a danger that Palace would fall deeper into the poor run of form they are in, but Olise’s moment of magic has given them something positive to build on and, crucially, a point.
When I asked Patrick Vieira if he felt relieved that the team had picked up a result and avoided defeat, he said: “Not a relief at all, the performances have been quite good. We have been unlucky not to get more points.
“Of course the results say something different. I was really positive and we have been positive with the players about how we want to play the game, insisting about what we have been doing really well. When you don’t win games there’s some parts that you need to improve.
“When you go through a difficult period you just have to keep working well and keep working hard. It was important not to lose today. On the other side we showed some resilience, that will be important for the rest of the season.”
This match against Manchester United comes in a run of fixtures that see them play the majority of the big six and in-form teams like Newcastle, Brentford and Brighton.
Ahead of the match there was a feeling of restlessness and a will for Vieira to make changes. The Eagles boss did just that, bringing in Will Hughes, Odsonne Edouard, Jean Phillipe Mateta and Chris Richards.
Vieira said in his post-match media conference that the changes were due to the Eagles having three games in a week, but the players who came in will have done their chances of starting the game against Newcastle no harm.
