Crystal Palace v Manchester United: Premier League – live!

36 min: Townsend is bundled over by Fred as he looks to slice through the middle. Palace look fairly comfortable just now.

34 min: United, having seemed to get a hold on this, have been knocked back off their stride by Palace in the last six or seven minutes.

33 min: Julian Menz writes with more stripy factoids –

“In Germany, the ’Zebras’ is the colloqial name for MSV Duisburg (they play in blue and white hoops, not sure what QPR/Reading fans might make of that).

“Yet more German football/equine trivia no-one needs, Mönchengladbach are known as ‘the Foals’, and, while we’re on the subject of hoofs, cloven or not, 1FC Köln are known as the ’Billy Goats’, and even have a (replaceable) goat as a mascot, named after a former manager.”

31 min: Eze, quiet so far, goes on one of those weaving runs he’s so capable of but can’t achieve a give-and-go with Ayew.

29 min: Now a promising Palace free-kick on the left, though. It’s not far outside the box and I think Bailly made the foul. It’s one of those opportunities they need to make the most of. They don’t, though, as Eze fires it in but the ubiquitous Maguire powers it away.

27 min: Cavani heads the ball towards Croydon from a difficult, drilled Rashford cross.

26 min: Milivojevic hits a hopeless pass out of play on the wing. Palace might not be minded to push far up the pitch but they still are getting too deep for me, Clive.

Ed has a good point.

24 min: Greenwood isn’t too far wide with a deflected shot, so United have a corner. Shaw outswings it but Benteke heads away – and also clears the second ball in. Sterling defensive work from the centre-forward.

22 min: United are controlling this a bit now. Palace’s forays are becoming ever more isolated.

19 min: Shaw, showing no sign of that earlier knock, is increasingly involved on the left and arrows another nice ball across, airkicked ungracefully by Fernandes.

18 min: ‘Tis a nice enough start to this game. Palace are getting space when they win the ball back, and countering quickly. United have had two decent sights and Rashford should maybe have done better with his. Fred takes aim now and it takes a deflection or two, Guaita gathering.

16 min: Oooh, chance for Rashford. He controls an intelligent Shaw ball from the left cutely and then, from 15 yards, shoots a foot wide of the near post. He’s scored those before.

14 min: But Matic errs badly now in his own half and Townsend is away … but perhaps delays the shot too long and in the end his effort is blocked.

13 min: Fine save from Guaita! Shortly after a Rashford ball fizzes across goal, Matic – who has previous for scoring brilliant winners here – cracks one from 25 yards that snicks off McCarthy and is pawed wide! Cavani stabs over from inside the six-yard box following the corner. First big moments for United.

12 min: A marvellous Peter Oh nugget – “In Brazilian football slang, ‘zebra’ is a term for a hugely unexpected result. For example, a five-nil Palace win with Benteke scoring a hat trick, Bruno Fernandes missing two penalties, Solskjaer getting sent off and Hodgson dancing in the technical area would probably be classified as a zebra.”

10 min: The busy Maguire stabs away an Ayew centre with Benteke lurking. Palace win a corner moments later. Henderson claims it with no bother.

8 min: Has to be said, Palace have threatened the most so far. They are still pressing and Milivojevic has just had a shot blocked.

7 min: Right-sided free-kick for Palace, and Townsend inswings it wickedly. It evades Cahill and those have drifted past unsighted keepers before, but Henderson is watching it all the way. Immediately afterwards, United give the ball away and Benteke – the volleyer supreme at Brighton – tries something similar from 12 yards. This time the result is wildly different.

5 min: It’s not a high-paced start, this. Mainly slow passing from United and the occasional thwarted attempt from Palace to zip upfield. Maguire does well again, this time as Ayew looked to nip around him in the area. Then Shaw is painfully clattered by Ward as they contested a loose Rashford pass. Shaw hobbles up, eventually.

3 min: Ayew breaks for Palace and tries to play Benteke in, but Maguire is in very firmly. Before that, United were probing away.

The teams are out at Selhurst Park! United have come as zebras, Palace have come in their classic getup.

Another result from today – Sheffield United have beaten Aston Villa 1-0, which is excellent for them in isolation but won’t help them stay up.

David De Gea is absent for personal reasons tonight, while Anthony Martial has a knock. Dean Henderson starts in goal. Bailly, Matic and Cavani are also in for Lindelof, McTominay and James.

One change for Palace – McCarthy in for Riedewald.

It has finished Burnley 1-1 Leicester – so United can go three points clear in second tonight.

We have more football, too, while-u-wait. Or while-u-watch! Multitasking is good for you. Paul Doyle has Chelsea Women v Atletico Madrid Women:

Burnley v Leicester is in its latter stages, which is of consequence to this fixture because it’s currently 1-1 and if Leicester won they’d go above United into second for now. Bite your nails with Barry Glendenning!