Manchester United 2 0 Crystal Palace Matteo Darmian and Damien Delane

Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace: Matteo Darmian and Damien Delaney own goal keep hosts in hunt for Champions League place amid empty seats at subdued Old Trafford The empty red seats around Old Trafford told their own story. Manchester United may be on their way to Wembley. They may still be in the fight for a Champions League place. But this was a night when a season of stupefying performances caught up with Louis van Gaal. Rarely has the old place felt more subdued. Rarely have so many fans stayed away from a Premier League match that carried some meaning. One, let’s not forget, that kept United in the hunt for a top-four finish and Van Gaal with hope of keeping his job beyond the summer. This may have been a meaningless Wembley warm-up for an under-strength Crystal Palace before Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Watford. But it was a must-win game for United, an opportunity to close the gap on Manchester City and Arsenal before they could turn attentions to their own semi-final against Everton. Those United fans who stayed away missed one of the more energetic performances under the Dutchman. United were attack-minded and full of running four days after a lifeless, lack-lustre display against Aston Villa here. There have been too many of those this season. United fans have had their fill, and Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward will have noted the empty spaces from his place in the directors’ box. Woodward will know that the official attendance of 75,277 reflects the number of season ticket holders who could have been here, not bums on seats. By the end, Old Trafford was practically deserted. ‘We’ve got more fans than you,’ chanted the visiting Palace supporters. It felt more like a League Cup tie.