Patrick Vieira's side battled hard for a well earned point at Selhurst Park last night.
Manchester United took the lead just before half-time, with Christian Eriksen teeing up team-mate Bruno Fernandes for a well taken finish.
Palace remained resilient however, with a standout performance by Chris Richards in the back line, keeping the United forwards from furthering the scoreline.
It looked that the Red Devils were set to extend their winning run to 10 games, after Palace had tried, but failed to penetrate on the attack.
Up step Michael Olise.
From 25-yards, the 21-year-old struck the ball over the wall, kissing the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net. David De Gea (who had put in a fine performance all game), had no chance to save it.
Richards puts in composed first start for Palace
After it was announced hours before the game that Joachim Andersen was set to be out for at least three weeks, Palace fans were looking for 22-year-old USA international Chris Richards to be called upon.
Palace signed Richards in the summer of 2022 on a five-year deal from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Opportunity for the American has been limited so far, after suffering a leg injury in October putting him out for over a month.
But after being called upon by Vieira last night, Richards impressed the masses with a calm and collected performance against some world class talent.
He looked competent in the air and seems to be a valid option while Andersen is out.
Will Hughes offered much more balance to the midfield
Also making his first start of the season, Hughes brought a grit and intensity to the middle of the park that The Eagles have been severely lacking this season.
The 27-year-old offered defensive cover to Cheick Doucouré, but also looked to drive the play forward at any opportunity.
He is exactly the kind of player that Palace fans take very well to; always giving 100%; big personality; passionate on the pitch, and not afraid of getting stuck in with a challenge.
Vieira should be impressed with what he saw last night, meaning we hopefully will see more starts for the Englishman.
Palace still struggling in front of goal
If it wasn't for Olise's fantastic strike, it looked doubtful would find that final bit of quality to score.
This is slightly worrying when players such as Olise, Zaha, Edouard and Mateta all started the game.
Having such attacking players on the pitch, you would think goals would come much easier, however this hasn't been the case in recent games.
With Mateta up top, it makes sense to get the ball wide and hit crosses into the box, especially with United defender Lisandro Martinez standing at 5'9ft tall.
Our forwards however often look to play tricky passes through the middle of the box, and whilst looking impressive- it often comes to nothing.
Vieira needs to find a way to exploit our attackers strengths better, and the attackers still need to be more ruthless in front of goal.
Looking to Newcastle
Ultimately though, it's a very good point for Palace. We maybe could've taken all three at the death, if ex-Palace player Aaron Wan-Bissaka hadn't been there to stop Zaha.
The Eagles now face another tough test against Eddie Howe's dark horse's Newcastle, sitting 4th in the Premier League.
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