The match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United that took place at Selhurst Park on 18 January 2023, ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams exhibited commendable teamwork with Manchester United opening the scoring through Bruno Fernandes with an assist from Christian Eriksen in the 43rd minute of the first half. Crystal Palace, however, were not disheartened and mirrored their performance in the second half. Michael Olise netted the equalizer for Palace in the 91st minute.

The most influential factor in this match was arguably the accuracy of shots on target. Despite Manchester United exhibiting more aggressive gameplay with 15 attempts at goal compared to Crystal Palace's 10, only four of United's shots were on target, compared with Crystal Palace's five. This indicates that Crystal Palace made better use of their attacking opportunities, leading to their late equalizer. United's inefficiency in front of goal, with 11 shots veering off-target, suggested a slight lack of composure that prevented them from clinicking the match.

Both teams were evenly matched in terms of corner kicks, with each team securing three throughout the match. This demonstrates both teams' robust defensive performances which rarely crumbled under opposition pressure. The offside game was almost non-existent in this match, with United caught on the wrong side of the flag just once. Crystal Palace managed to stay disciplined, avoiding any offsides overall.

The discipline was slightly harder to maintain when it came to fouls and yellow cards. Manchester United committed slightly more fouls than Crystal Palace, 10 to 9 respectively, while United also picked up two yellow cards, one more than their home opposition. Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro were both cautioned for United, while Will Hughes picked up a booking for Crystal Palace.

The increasing intensity of the match was reflected by the fouls becoming frequent in the second half, and the yellow cards picked up by both teams eventually led to the dramatic equaliser towards the end. The disciplined defence coupled with the effective shots on target turned out to be vital in shaping the outcome of the match.

Overall, an insightful analysis of the match might suggest that better precision in attack could have changed the result entirely for Manchester United on this draw. Instead, it was Crystal Palace who were able to capitalize on their more limited opportunities, thanks to Olise's late goal.

It's worth noting that in spite of United's aggressive range of shots, their accuracy was where they fell short, which helped Crystal Palace significantly in achieving their defensive targets, holding onto a well-earned point at home. The match was a showcase of strong defence, disciplined play, and opportunistic scoring. We look forward to seeing how these teams adjust their strategies for their future showdowns.

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