‘That was not our best match’ admits Manchester United’s Louis van Gaal, but ‘fighting spirit’ bodes well

'Football is crazy, that was not our best match,' said Louis van Gaal of his Manchester United side on Saturday, 'but you win, and that is also the beauty of football'.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal shown before Saturday's Premier League win against Crystal Palace. Eddie Keogh / Reuters / May 9, 2015

Louis van Gaal believes Manchester United's fighting spirit helped secure the victory that takes them to the brink of qualification for next season's Champions League.

Van Gaal’s side were forced to work hard for the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday that moved them seven points clear of fifth placed Liverpool, 24 hours before Brendan Rodgers’s side travel to champions Chelsea.

Backed by a far superior goal difference, Van Gaal and his players know they will have effectively achieved their main objective of the Premier League season if Liverpool fail to win at Stamford Bridge.

Van Gaal would then be able to describe his first season at Old Trafford as a qualified success although the performance at Selhurst Park underlined there is more work to be done.

Against Palace though, the priority was to secure a win after three games without a victory or goal.

And after Marouane Fellaini’s late header had given United victory after Palace winger Jason Puncheon had cancelled out Juan Mata’s first half penalty, Van Gaal declared himself satisfied with his side’s battling qualities.

“Football is crazy because when you see how we played against Chelsea, Everton and West Bromwich Albion and you compare it with today, that was not our best match,” said the Dutchman.

“But you win. And that is also the beauty of football.

“What I have seen today is fighting spirit of my team. And that I have said to my players, ‘when you fight like you have fought today, we are difficult to beat’. So I am very happy with this result.

“It brings us a big step closer to our goal and now we shall sit down tomorrow ... to see the match between Chelsea and Liverpool.”

Goalkeeper David De Gea underlined his importance to United this season with a superb second half save from home striker Glenn Murray that prevented Palace taking the lead.

Van Gaal said: “He made a great save at the most important moment because at that time Crystal Palace could have scored their second goal and it would have been difficult for us to come again in the match.”

Palace manager Alan Pardew echoed Van Gaal’s praise of the keeper.

He said: “We had a great moment to take the lead and only a fabulous save from the goalkeeper stopped us.

“He was outstanding all day. His kicking and distribution was on the money and the save probably prevented us from winning the game.”

Luke Shaw was stretchered off during the first half and Wayne Rooney was replaced at half-time but Van Gaal confirmed neither injury was serious.

“Luke had an elbow on his face and he had a bloodied nose. He was dizzy so out of precaution we took him off,” said the manager.

“He went to the hospital and I’ve already had a message he will fly back so I am not thinking it is too bad.

“And Rooney has a dead leg so that’s why I had to change him.”

Pardew - whose side fell to a fourth successive defeat - was frustrated by the decision of referee Michael Oliver to award a penalty after Ashley Young’s cross was adjudged to have been blocked by Scott Dann’s arm.

The manager said: “I’m a bit aggrieved by the penalty. I asked the referee and he said he went with his gut feeling.

“Then in the second half I thought we could have had a penalty when Jason Puncheon went over Mata. Both were split decisions and I thought if he gave one, he should have given the other.

“But I don’t want to moan. We fought hard and it’s just a shame we didn’t get anything from the game.”

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