Crystal Palace 0-0 Aston Villa: Oliver Glasner stops Unai Emery AGAIN… so were Manchester United chiefs keeping tabs as pair are linked with Old Trafford hotseat?

England manager Thomas Tuchel was keeping warm in the posh seats at Selhurst Park and he was not the only neutral with a keen eye on this fixture.

Manchester United power-brokers would have been maintaining a watching brief as the two managers in the dugout, Oliver Glasner and Unai Emery, have been touted as potential candidates for their vacancy in the summer.

In truth, Tuchel might have struggled to stay awake as this dull game devoid of drama ticked on, while fans at home might have been better watching The Traitors on the other channel.

Whether Glasner stays faithful to Palace or not is a question for the summer – but there are two main notes the United top brass may have jotted down about this game.

Firstly, he has mastered something not many on these shores have done in the past three years – not Mikel Arteta, not Pep Guardiola. The Austrian has worked out how to stop Unai Emery, this game being Villa’s seventh meeting in a row where they have failed to beat Palace.

That is not easy, especially when Villa had won 13 of their previous 15 league games, losing only to leaders Arsenal and champions Liverpool in that time.

But on the other hand, Glasner dissenters would point out that although this was a good point, the Eagles’ winless run in the league stretched to six matches, dating back to early December.

That sort of run, he would not need telling, is one that would see the pressure cranked up if he were manager of United or another Big Six outfit. What may go under the radar at a mid-table club is analysed for days at Old Trafford.

Tuchel’s defensive duo impress 

Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi could well be England’s centre-half duo in the World Cup.

What about John Stones, you may ask? The Manchester City veteran has barely been seen this season and Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday that he had ‘no idea’ when he would be back – which does not sound good.

Guehi, of course, could soon be Stones’s team-mate at City but Konsa is the man who would start next to him if the tournament kicked off this week. Neither are overly fashionable names but they are both classy and rounded defenders.

Marc Guehi impressed and could be joined by Villa’s Ezri Konsa with England next summer

The pair are comfortable on the ball and possess old-school defensive traits, too.

Tuchel would have also enjoyed the performance of Adam Wharton in midfield. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson seems to be preferred at the moment but the 21-year-old plays like he is from the Barcelona academy and not… Blackburn.

Action Johnson 

Brennan Johnson was far from perfect but he was Palace’s brightest spark on his first home appearance since his club-record £35million signing.

He should have done better with a chance in the first half when Wharton sent him through on goal, while Jean-Philippe Mateta was inches away from getting on the end on a beautiful cutback.

The Wales international is a work in progress but will go on to be an integral member of this squad.

Meanwhile, Emery was forced to take off goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at half-time with a suspected injury.