Manchester United desperate to keep their Champions League hopes on course at a happy hunting ground

Manchester United return to Selhurst Park on Thursday for a key Premier League game at a venue where they have performed well, winning five and drawing once since Crystal Palace were promoted in 2013.

It is also one of the loudest away ends, with 3,000 fans standing on the shallow rake under the low roof of the Arthur Wait Stand.

From Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba goals in 2016, to Nemanja Matic's winner in 2018 in a 2-3 result, and two from Romelu Lukaku to make it 1-3 last season, those fans have been treated to late triumphs in games played at night under lights.

United also beat Palace in the 2016 FA Cup final while at Old Trafford, United could boast five straight wins until a hapless 0-0 draw with the Eagles in November 2018 which was another nail in Jose Mourinho’s United future – he was sacked within a month. The result, if not the performance, was even worse this season as United lost 2-1 in a game they dominated.

“If you’re positive thinking, little things go for you. If you’re negative, they go against you,” manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told United We Stand recently.

“Palace at home. You could play that game 100 times and we’d win 99. That was the most freak result of the season, plus we lost Luke [Shaw] and Anthony [Martial]. So after three games there was a lot of negativity about. Everything gets magnified at Man United.”

There is now a lot of positivity around United but the team must win in South London to maintain their chance of finishing in the top four and getting a Champions League spot.

The 96th minute equaliser by Southampton on Monday was a blow and dropped United from third to fifth with three games remaining but, asked by The National about his defence, Solskjaer said: “I think we’ve had a couple of things against teams that show we’re improving all the time.

"We can defend well at times [and] when you say defence I look at the whole XI because we start pressing from the front.

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Manchester United v Southampton ratings

David De Gea - 6: Could do little for first goal in his 400th United appearance. Had to be a alert against an impressive foe and made super late save from Redmond, but then beaten at the last. Getty

Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 6: Involved in build up for equaliser. Attacking intent but not quite either Ronaldo when he dribbles. . AP

Harry Maguire - 6: Industrial language used in the world’s first industrial park. More passes than any player on pitch, but at heart of a defence that has conceded two goals in each of their last two home games. PA

Victor Lindelof - 6: Wobbly at times in early Saints’ onslaught. Improved, cut out a late Smallbone cross and couldn’t prevent late, late equaliser from set play. PA:

Luke Shaw - 6: Drove hard down the left. Came off after 74 after going over heavily on his ankle. Getty

Nemanja Matic - 7: Initially overwhelmed by an excellent Southampton start, but made more tackles and interceptions than any player. Had more touches and was fouled more than any player too. Getty

Bruno Fernandes - 7: Underhit a couple of early first half crosses. Nutmegged Ward-Prowse with a back heel to set up Pogba. Lively. PA

Paul Pogba - 6: Caught out for opening goal and dispossessed again soon after. Steadied up, shot from distance, but not as his best. Like many of team mates, gave ball away too much. PA

Anthony Martial - 8: Chance for an early one on one. Fantastic in setting up equaliser. Then smashed second goal in after going past defender like he wasn’t there for 50th MUFC goal. Best player on the field. Shame there were no fans to be sat on the edge of their seat watching him. AFP

Marcus Rashford - 7: Offside before he put the ball in the net after 15 mins. Onside to score first goal from open play of the restart. Rapid driving forward. Shot close from distance after 55 minutes, superb run and combination with Martial after 68. Best performance since his injury. AFP

Mason Greenwood - 6: Suffered awful first half tackle from Romeu and quieter game than of late. EPA

SUBS: Fred (On for Pogba 63') 6: Replaced Pogba after an hour to stop an impressive Southampton cutting through midfield. . AP

Brandon Williams - (On for Shaw 73') 6: Was getting valuable minutes most games, until he went off after a sickening clash of heads. Reuters

Daniel James - (On for Greenwood 84') NA. Getty

Scott McTominay - (On for Fernandes 84') NA. Getty

Alex McCarthy - 7: Brilliant stop to deny Martial in first 10 minutes and another good save to parry away a Pogba drive before the break. No chance with goals. AFP

Kyle Walker-Peters - 5: A tough night for the right-back. Suffered a torrid first half after being dragged out of position as Rashford equalised and left for dead by Martial for the second. Booked after break for deliberate handball that stopped Rashford getting through on goal. Getty. Getty

Jack Stephens - 6: Almost handed Martial chance to make it 3-1 after gifting possession but French attacker blazed over after mazy run. Reuters

Jan Bednarek - 7: Solid night at the back for Polish defender up against a daunting United attack. AFP

Ryan Bertrand - 8: Excellent performance from the full-back who did really well against an in-form Greenwood. Getty

Oriol Romeu - 7: Midfielder lucky to escape punishment for nasty late challenge on Greenwood in first half, but was key performer for the Saints. Reuters

James Ward-Prowse - 6: Almost gifted Martial opening goal after being caught in possession but rescued by his goalkeeper. Booked for rugby tackling Fernandez in first half. Superb in-swinging corner to set up late leveller. Reuters

Nathan Redmond - 8: Good cross for Armstrong's goal, always a threat going forward and assisted Bertrand to help keep Greenwood quiet. Forced excellent stop from De Gea late on. AFP

Stuart Armstrong - 7: Wonderful control in first half to bring down cross but could only drive straight at De Gea. No mistake a few minutes later when showed great composure to take a touch and put his team one up. Reuters

Che Adams - 5: Started well as Southampton dominated early stages but faded as match went on. AFP

Danny Ings - 7: The striker was a constant menace to United. Showed great anticipation to dispossess Pogba and begin the move that led to Armstrong's goal. Reuters

SUBS: Shane Long - (On for Adams 64') 6: Half-chance with header but was too far out to trouble De Gea. Reuters

William Smallbone - (On for Armstrong 70') 6: No major impact after coming on. Reuters

Michael Obafemi - (On for Romeu 87') NA: Very late sub who earned Saints a point after getting on end of Ward-Prowse corner at back post. Getty

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“There are not many teams that create chances against us because we press high with Marcus [Rashford], Anthony, Mason [Greenwood] and Bruno (Fernandes). And, at the back end of the Southampton game David [de Gea] made a fantastic save.

“Of course we were disappointed to concede a goal in the last seconds but Brandon [Williams] was off, we were playing with 10 men, Southampton had players on who were 7ft tall, and it was a great delivery by [James] Ward-Prowse. I’m very pleased with the development.”

On his two left backs who had to leave the field, Solskjaer said: “Luke Shaw has a swollen ankle. Brandon’s eye was cut. I’m going to give them as much time as possible to get the swelling away to play against Palace.”

Solskjaer is adamant his players are fitter than they have been for years and one, Martial, is fizzing and was the best player on the field in both of the games played at Old Trafford since the restart.

The Parisien, 24, has scored a career best 21 goals – the same as Rashford – so far this term and is deployed as the main central forward in Solskjaer’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

“He’s definitely developing, improving and enjoying his football,” Solskjaer said.

"He’s stepped it up as an individual and more as a team player, and physically. I remember there were talks about our forwards being the least active [in the league] and there were stats flying around but Anthony is now working really hard for the team and is a quality finisher.”

United’s season still hangs in the balance. Finish in the top four or win the Europa League or FA Cup or achieve all three and it would be considered a substantial improvement.

But drop points to Crystal Palace on Thursday and fingers will start to be pointed. At least United travel in form and a good record there, if not their raucous away fans.