LONDON: Manchester United suffered fresh penalty woe as Marcus Rashford missed from the spot in their shock 2-1 home Premier League defeat against Crystal Palace, while Chelsea manager Frank Lampard secured his first win at Norwich City on Saturday.

On Monday, United were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Wolves after Paul Pogba’s penalty was saved by Rui Patricio when the France star insisted on taking over spot-kick duties from Rashford.

But Rashford fared no better when he hit a post from the spot in the second half against Palace at Old Trafford, putting United on course for their first defeat of the Premier League season when Patrick van Aanholt grabbed the visitors’ winner in stoppage-time.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had sent out United’s first unchanged line-up in the Premier League since December 2017, but that group produced a tame first-half performance as Palace took the lead in the 32nd minute.

Palace keeper Vicente Guaita thumped the ball upfield and Jeffrey Schlupp flicked on to Jordan Ayew, who was played onside by the slow-to-react Harry Maguire as he side-footed past David de Gea for Palace’s first goal of the season.

When Scott McTominay was fouled, Rashford, who had scored a penalty against Chelsea in the first game of the campaign, took the ball as Pogba looked on, but the England striker’s spot-kick cannoned back off the woodwork.

Former Swansea midfielder Daniel James looked to have spared Rashford’s blushes when he bagged his second goal for United with a fine finish in the 89th minute.

But a terrible blunder by United keeper De Gea proved decisive in the third minute of stoppage-time as the Spaniard allowed van Aanholt’s shot to squeeze under him at the near post.

It was Palace’s first league win over United since May 1991 and their first league victory at Old Trafford since December 1989.

At Carrow Road, Tammy Abraham got the Lampard era up and running as the young Chelsea striker’s double helped seal a 3-2 win over the Canaries.

Lampard had gone three games without a win in all competitions since he took over as Chelsea manager, but the Blues legend finally got off the mark thanks to his faith in Abraham.

Abraham had failed to score in his three previous appearances this term, but the 21-year-old striker bagged his first goal for the club to put Chelsea ahead.

A pulsating encounter saw Todd Cantwell equalise for Norwich before Mason Mount restored Chelsea’s advantage.

Teemu Pukki’s fifth goal in three games this season brought Norwich back on level terms before half-time, only for Abraham to give Chelsea the points with his predatory second-half finish.

Southampton won 2-0 at south-coast rivals Brighton Hove Albion, who paid the price for the 30th-minute dismissal of forward Florin Andone for nasty high challenge on Yan Valery.

Southampton took the lead when Mali Under-20 international Moussa Djenepo struck with his first touch in the 55th minute — just 78 seconds after coming on as a substitute.

Nathan Redmond ensured Southampton would enjoy their first win of the season when he scored in the closing moments.

Leicester City substitute Harvey Barnes sealed his side’s first victory of the season as they beat Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramall Lane.

Jamie Vardy produced a typically predatory effort from James Maddison’s pass to give Leicester the lead in the 38th minute.

Oliver McBurnie brought United level in the 62nd minute, the club-record signing heading past Kasper Schmeichel after coming off the bench.

But Barnes won it for Leicester with a superb strike in the 70th minute.

Sebastien Haller’s first goals for West Ham ensured his side cruised to a 3-1 victory at Watford.

Mark Noble was making his first start this term for West Ham and the midfielder was on the scoresheet with a third-minute penalty.

Andre Gray drew Watford level with their first goal of the season in the 17th minute.

However, Haller, a close-season signing from Eintracht Frankfurt, broke the deadlock from Felipe Anderson’s cross in the 64th minute.

And French forward Haller’s brilliant overhead kick nine minutes later sealed West Ham’s first success of the campaign and left Watford still waiting to get a point on the board.

VILLA GET FIRST POINTS

Promoted Aston Villa earned their first points of the season with a 2-0 win over Everton thanks to goals from Wesley and Anwar El Ghazi at Villa Park on Friday.

Villa’s Brazilian striker Wesley, signed in the close season for a club record 22 million pounds ($27.03 million), put them ahead in the 21st minute with a clinical finish after a perfectly timed through ball from Spanish midfielder Jota.

Everton, who could have claimed provisional top spot with a victory, went close to a first-half equaliser but Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s strike was superbly cleared off the line by defender Bjorn Engels.

Villa, back in the top flight after a three-year absence, made sure of the win in stoppage time when, after a break led by Wesley, Dutch substitute El Ghazi slotted home.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2019