Premier League blog: Stoke 2-2 Manchester United
A cracking late game in the Premier League ended with Manchester United top of the table after a 2-2 draw at Stoke.
FT: Stoke 2-2 Manchester United
Stoke: Butland; Cameron (off 46), Zouma, Wimmer; Diouf, Fletcher, Allen, Pieters; Shaqiri, Jese (off 75); Choupo-Moting
Subs: Grant; Berahino (on 75), Tymon, Martins Indi (on 46), Adam, Crouch, Ramadan.
Goals: Choupo-Moting (43, 63)
Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Darmian, Matic, Pogba, Ander Herrera (off 72), Mkhitaryan, Rashford (off 72), Lukaku
Subs: Mata (on 72), Martial (on 72), Smalling, Lingard, Carrick, Blind, Romero
Goals: Rashford (45), Lukaku (57)
⏱ FT: Stoke 2-2 Manchester United
There's the final whistle. Cracking game of football. A draw very much a fair result on the balance of play, with Choupo-Moting the man of the hour. United drop their first points and concede their first goals, but still return to the top of the Premier League. No handshake between Mourinho and Hughes at full-time after their earlier handbags, so look forward to tiresome further coverage there.
90+4: Pogba spins and hits a snapshot over the bar. That will surely be that. And fair enough, as well.
90+3: Diouf hammers the ball all the way back to De Gea. Probably 30 extra seconds to play on top of the three as a result of that stoppage.
90+3: Martial and Diouf are arguing about how the drop-ball is going to be sorted out. Just contest it, lads! Proper football.
90+2: Butland gets in a tangle initially, starting to come for the corner and changing his mind, but recovers to make a fine low save to claw the ball to safety. Play halted now due to an injury to Wimmer. Going to be a drop-ball to restart things.
90+1: Stoke bungle an attempted break, and United have a corner. Bailly and Jones both go forward. Three added minutes to play here.
90: Wondered if Lukaku or Mata might try to blast this under the wall given the distances involved. The physics were against getting the ball up and down over a big Stoke wall. Lukaku tries, though, and it's blocked. As is his follow-up effort.
89: Soft free-kick conceded by Allen and cannily won by Mata on the edge of the penalty area. Quick little Cruyff turn, and Mata was always going down if a tackle came in. Real danger here for Stoke.
87: Just the first hint of both sides being a bit tentative about throwing men forward as they have all day. Neither side wants nothing to show for the efforts expended here.
86: No bookings yet, despite the high tempo of the game and teh quality of the attacking play we've seen. Tells a story about this match, to be fair. Swarbrick has kept a firm yet light-touch control of a high-intensity but fair contest.
85: They've been ticking away since kick-off to be fair, such is the nature of time and its passing. Except in the first half we had to assume they were ticking, because the clock vanished.
84: United's corner comes to nothing, and the minutes are ticking away now.
83: The set-piece comes to nothing, and actually turns into a United counter until Allen heads behind for a corner.
82: Free-kick for Stoke wide on the right.
81: Bit of pushing and shoving between Hughes and Mourinho on the edge of their technical areas.
80: Into the last 10 minutes we go. United 5/2, Stoke 10/1.
78: Just for a second it looks like Shaqiri's corner is going straight in at the near post before it thuds into the side-netting.
77: Great battle between Shaqiri and Bailly ends just about honours even with a Stoke corner.
↔️ 75: It's Jese who makes way for Berahino. There's a 28/1 Price Boost on offer for the substitute to score.
75: Diouf and Zouma combine to snuff out the threat posed by Mkhitaryan down the left.
73: Stoke readying Saido Berahino for action. Just a bit of a lull at the moment in a breakneck game.
↔️ 72: It's a pair of changes for United as Martial and Mata replace Rashford and Herrera.
70: Choupo-Moting sees the headlines before dragging a shot wide after being found by Pieters.
67: It's the Choupo-Moting show at the moment, as he dances around two United defenders before coming within a whisker of setting Jese clear on goal.
66: Space suddenly opens up for Valencia 25 yards from goal, and he fires a low shot just wide of Butland's right-hand post.
65: Pogba tries to catch Butland out at his near post. He doesn't succeed, but does get a corner for his efforts.
⚽ 63: GOAL! CHOUPO-MOTING! Stoke 2-2 Manchester United
Once again, the lead proves impossible to hold at the Bet365. De Gea's stunning save comes to nothing as Choupo-Moting peels away at the back post to rise unmarked and head the corner beyond the United keeper. Stoke are 7/1 again!
62: Wonderful save from De Gea! Jese slides on to a low cross and must think he's brought Stoke level from six yards out only to see De Gea instinctively throw out an arm and make the save.
⚽ 57: GOAL! LUKAKU! Stoke 1-2 Manchester United
Yeah, about that good Stoke spell. The Potters give the ball away tamely through Allen after good work from Jese, and United break at pace. Mkhitaryan slips in Lukaku, who has timed his run to perfection to beat the offside trap. Butland saves his first attempt, but can do nothing about it as the ball bounces back to the United striker.
56: Another good move from Stoke, but Darmian defends smartly. Gets back and gets a foot in to deny Jese who had been neatly slipped in by Allen. Stoke the better side since the break, and now 7/1 for the win.
55: Cheers from the home fans as Pogba runs the ball straight out of play in front of the technical areas.
53: Choupo-Moting on the ball out on the left flank, but he's flagged offside. He can't believe the flag's gone up and, looking at the replays, he's got a point. Darmian all the way over on the other side of the pitch playing him on.
52: Shaqiri finds some space in midfield and looks to slide the ball through for Jese. Jones alive to the danger, but it's been a good start to the second half from Stoke after that late setback before the break.
51: Mkhitaryan flagged offside.
50: Lukaku late on Allen. Stoke free-kick on halfway. Their fans wanted more, but Swarbrick happy to just have a word with Lukaku and keep his notebook in his pocket.
50: Choupo-Moting gets on the end of the corner, but it pinballs around the United area before Pogba clears.
49: Stoke work a good position for Pieters on the left, and his cross is headed behind for a corner.
48: Corner breaks to Pogba 20 yards from goal, but his shot is straight at Butland.
48: United go short again, despite scoring from a direct ball into the box just before half-time. They'll have another chance, though, as the ball deflects behind off a Stoke leg.
47: First work of the evening for Martins Indi, turning a cross behind for a corner. United scored from their last...
47: Rashford shifts the ball half-a-yard and creates a shooting chance, but his curler is blocked by Zouma.
46: The clock's back!
46: United get the second half under way.
↔️ HT: A change before the second half begins. Cameron can't continue, and is replaced by Martins Indi.
⏱ HT: Stoke 1-1 Manchester United
And there's the half-time whistle. A good game became an even better one in those last few minutes as Stoke swept ahead via the impressive Choupo-Moting before Rashford brought his side level without even knowing it. Because he's just that good. After all that, United are back to 8/11 to get the three points and Stoke back out to 13/2. It's 100/30 that we've seen the last of the scoring. I don't think we've seen the last of the scoring, to be honest.
45+2: We're into the second of two added minutes here. Anyone back that BTTS 1st half Price Boost? It was never in doubt, lads.
⚽ 45: GOAL! RASHFORD! Stoke 1-1 Man United
Disastrous from Stoke, who fail to see out the half having taken the lead. The corner is swung straight into the box where Pogba heads it home off the oblivious Rashford, who will surely be credited with the goal.
44: Corner for Man United.
⚽ 43: GOAL! CHOUPO-MOTING! Stoke 1-0 Man United
Lovely opening goal from Stoke. Diouf finds himself in space wide on the right after a raking ball from Fletcher and curves in a delightful cross that just begs to be attacked. Choupo-Moting, who has had a really good first half, does exactly that. Gets to the ball ahead of Bailly and sweeps past De Gea on the half-volley.
42: Wimmer concedes a corner, but Valencia's delivery is far too high. From open play and set-pieces, United's delivery has not been the best.
41: Allen nips in and regains possession for Stoke, but a potential counter-attack comes to nought. United launch a counter-counter-attack of their own, but the aptly named Zouma keeps pace with Rashford and gets his tackle in.
40: Long spell of possession for United, but they're being forced to play slowly and in front of Stoke here. The hosts very comfortable.
39: Choupo-Moting's backheel almost sets Jese free. Those two and Shaqiri are working hard on and off the ball for the Potters.
36: Even stevens so far, you'd say, with United perhaps just starting to flex their muscled. The visitors are out to 8/11 from a pre-match 1/2, though.
34: Valencia makes a bit of a mess of a good position, volleying a cross and almost if anything hitting that too well, Clive, as the ball fizzes past Rashford's nose.
32: The corner is cleared as far as Matic, 25 yards from goal and right of centre. He goes for goal; it's something he's got in his locker, but not on this occasion. High, wide and not very handsome.
31: Dicey moment for Zouma, who finds himself rushing back towards his own goal and having to deal with a fizzing low cross. Six yards out, he manages to get the ball wide of the target off his shin. Never in doubt.
30: I'm two minutes off with my clock here! There's 30 minutes on the clock, and I'd have sworn blind it was 28.
27: Another long-ranger from Shaqiri, another smart save from De Gea. Both keepers tidy thus far, albeit they'd have been a bit miffed to concede from anything they've had to handle.
26: Good break from United, but Rashford's low drive is well saved by Butland, with Lukaku flagged offside as he tries to get on the rebound.
26: Shaqiri's low 25-yarder has De Gea scrambling across his goal to smother. Bounced right in front of him, but wicketkeeper-like soft hands are his saviour there.
25: Like the look of Choupo-Moting. Suspect he could be a hugely frustrating footballer, but there's a liveliness to the movement of Stoke's forward play here.
24: Fabulous run from Rashford, well found by Pogba, but his shot is well saved by Butland. Gets his legs in the right place again, and this time it counts. Clearest sight of goal for either side thus far.
21: Stoke giving as good as they get in the first quarter of this one.
20: Matic plays Lukaku through, but he's just not quite timed the run and is flagged offside. Butland saves smartly with his legs in any case.
19: Important touch from debutant Wimmer to get the corner out of harm's way.
18: Paul Pogba tries a cheeky little back-flick from Rashford's low cross. Doesn't quite get it right, but does get a corner.
17: Lukaku now 4/1 to score the opening goal. Both teams to score before half-time now 8/1.
15: Choupo-Moting gives Valencia the slip but over-hits his cross, although it almost turns into a perfect ball for Diouf. Darmian alive to that, though, and heads clear.
14: Stat: Cameron has covered 10,000 miles in the international break. Stoke-USA-Honduras-Stoke.
13: Free-kick worked short to Mkhitaryan, but he scuffs his cross badly and Stoke get the ball away to safety once more.
13: United free-kick in a decent position on the right here.
12: Probably 12 minutes gone now. Still have nothing more committal or helpful than "1st Half" on screen.
11: Good cross from Darmian on the left is headed off Lukaku's eyebrows by new boy Wimmer and breaks to Herrera. His cross is cleared.
11: Promising Stoke position lost after a heavy first touch from Jese with his back to goal. Going to need to do better than that in those kind of positions today.
10: Is frenetics a word? Feels like it should, or at least could, be a word. I don't think it is, now. I've lost all confidence here.
9: Rashford's cross is blocked. Cameron hacks clear. Game's calmed down a bit since the early frenetics.
8: United knocking it about in the middle of the park. Must've been another 60 seconds tick by there.
7: Stoke knocking it about in the middle of the park. Must've been another 60 seconds tick by there.
6: Helpfully, we've lost the in-running on-screen clock on our TVs. We can confirm this is the "1st Half", though. Which is something.
5: Brief moment of alarm for De Gea, as he fumbles the corner under no pressure but pounces quickly on the loose ball.
4: Stoke win a second corner, Darmian forced to turn the ball behind under pressure from Jese.
3: Stoke get behind United again with a long ball over the top. Too easy, that, and Mourinho won't be happy despite Jese dragging his shot wide.
3: Lightning break from United, but Rashford's pass for Lukaku is slightly short of pace, and Pogba can't get on the loose ball after Zouma, living up to his name to get back on terms with the surging United frontline. Allen got back as well. Good defending in the end.
2: A good old-fashioned bundle as the corner comes in. Four players end up on the deck and there are roared appeals for a penalty - from the stands rather than the players, to be fair - which Neil Swarbrick has no interest in.
2: Stoke on the attack early and Choupo-Moting wins a corner.
1: We're under way.
1727: The teams are out and doing the handshake dance. Flags waving all around the Bet365. Delilah blaring out of the PA.
1715: Elsewhere, nervous times as we await the identity of the first Soccer Saturday Super 6 millionaire. Head here for all the latest, and to recap all the thrills and spills of this afternoon's earlier action.
1710: Don't listen to me, though. Listen to David John, a man who actually knows what he's talking about. He's had 37/10 and 11/10 winners from the 3pm kick-offs and likes United to win this one by the only goal.
1700: Been a quiet day so far in the Premier League, then. And still a game to come, where you can get a generous-looking 7/1 for Romelu Lukaku to score a header for Manchester United at the Bet365 Stadium. I'd certainly be happier on that than an away win at 1/2 at a ground that might not be the fortress of old but remains a Difficult Place To Go. Stoke-draw double chance at 6/4 for me.
1645: Three changes for Man United from their last game before the international break, with Darmian, Herrera and Rashford coming in for Daley Blind, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial.
It's just a couple of tweaks for the hosts with injured Ryan Shawcross and Bruno Martins Indi out for Mame Biram Diouf and new signing Kevin Wimmer.
1630: Welcome to our live coverage of this evening's Premier League clash between Stoke and Manchester United.
United are a perfect 3-3, not conceding a goal, since losing to Real Madrid in the European Super Cup and can go back top the top of the Premier League table with a victory over Stoke, whose sole win to date in the current league campaign came via a 1-0 victory over Arsenal.