Summary
Joe Allen was given man of the match by Glen Hoddle, but it’s hard to look past Lee Grant in Stoke City’s goal. He made two world-class stops to deny Ibrahimovic, then Lingard, as well as a handful of others to keep his side in the game.
They proved to be crucial, as the game’s other keeper, David de Gea, gifted Stoke their equaliser. This is a massive result for Stoke, if not in points then in morale, and they will head into the international break with a smile on their faces: Sunderland, Hull City and Swansea await on the other side. Stoke might still be in the relegation zone, but on this showing, they will be absolutely fine.
United squandered a few chances, but Paul Pogba was especially guilty today, missing the target on three separate occasions when it was surely easier for the £93m man to score.
Thanks for reading and for your emails and tweets. See you next time! Bye!
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Full-time: Manchester United 1-1 Stoke City
The first time that Stoke City have avoided defeat at Old Trafford in 36 years. Manchester United move up to sixth with that point, but if Manchester City win against Spurs, they will be eight points behind the league leaders.
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90+3 min: It’s all United now, but the home side have no other ideas than to get the ball wide and cross the ball in. Food and drink for Shawcross and Martins Indi.
90+2 min: Two United corners in quick succession. The first is a terrible delivery from Rooney, failing to beat the first man – what happened to Blind taking them? Pogba is penalised for climbing on the back of Shawcross during the second.
90 min: Four minutes added on for injury time. Stoke make their final change, the bustling Bardsley coming on for 5ft7in Shaqiri.
89 min: Pogba hits the bar! Ooooohhh, he should score. A terrible miss, his third of the afternoon. Rashford whips a cross full of pace and whip that Beckham would have been proud of. Pogba, five yards out and dead centre in front of goal, cannons his header onto the top of the bar, the ball bouncing over.
88 min: Stoke counter-attack, and for a moment it’s two on two at the back! Walters tries to get round Bailly … no dice. That’s excellent defending from the summer signing. A very dangerous situation resolved.
86 min: Allen stumbles and loses the ball to Pogba, who feeds Ibrahimovic. In a pocket of space in the box, the striker shoots low, but Grant gets down well to palm it away. His 7,825th excellent save of the afternoon.
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84 min: Immediate response from Mourinho, who brings on Memphis Depay for Ander Herrera.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Stoke City (Allen 83)
Stoke’s best player has got a surprise goal, but this is a shocking error from De Gea, who could only palm a weak Johnson shot to the feet of Walters. The substitute collects the ball wide but squirms a shot through a De Gea/Bailly/Valencia sandwich, hits the bar, and Allen is there two yards out smash the ball into the roof of the net! 1-1!
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81 min: Martial looks left and goes right, Shawcross trips the Frenchman, and all is right with the world. Free-kick out wide to United, right on the edge of Stoke’s box. Rooney curls it to the near post, well held by Grant.
79 min: “1-0 and you still won’t sing,” tease the Stoke faithful.
76 min: Hughes rolls the dice: Peter Crouch and Jon Walters come on for Wilfried Bony and Marko Arnautovic, who is still struggling with that knee.
74 min: Stoke relieve the pressure with a break down the left, but the move comes to a halt when Arnautovic is felled by Herrera, who is already on a yellow card. The Austrian lies crumpled in a heap on the turf, and Stoke are down to 1o men for the moment. The referee eventually stops play, much to the discontent of the home crowd (not a head injury), and Arnautovic gets some treatment on what appears to be a sore knee.
“Rooney is some kind of magician,” emails Kevin Wilson. “How many times can the ball bounce off you to a guy who then scores?”
72 min: Mourinho’s substitutions have worked. United have raised the tempo and Stoke are looking ragged. First Pogba mis-hits another shot on the penalty spot, Blind then has a close-range effort spectacularly blocked, and Grant makes another brilliant save to deny Ibrahimovic, who volleyed a fierce shot inside the near post. United could have had three goals in this past minute! Still 1-0.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Stoke City (Martial 70)
And the prophecy is fulfilled. Just as on Thursday, Rooney mis-controls the ball in the box, Cameron gets a toe in but it falls to Martial, and the Frenchman curls a first-time shot into the top corner. An absolute carbon copy of the goal he scored in this fixture last year!
.@AnthonyMartial put the finishing touch on a superb move in our last game against Stoke. #MUFC https://t.co/WWDI6S8DHQ
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 2, 2016
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68 min: Rooney came on at exactly the same minute of the game on Thursday against Zorya Luhansk, and two minutes later, Zlatan scored what proved to be the winner.
67 min: Mourinho makes his subs: Rooney and Martial on for Lingard and Mata.
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65 min: United’s first shot on goal for 20 minutes, and it’s a long-range effort from Herrera, his low drive flying just wide. Grant had it covered.
63 min: Stoke’s free-kicks and corners have been poor thus far – Shaqiri the culprit – but they are getting more opportunities to put the ball into United’s box. Something’s going to give eventually.
United fans prepare to be happy: Rooney's warming up...
— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) October 2, 2016
60 min: Stoke’s fans sing “City! City! City!” across Old Trafford. The home crowd respond with “United, United, United.”
58 min: Stoke are comfortable here. Bony, after a shocking first half, is holding the ball up well and dragging his side up the pitch.
56 min: Yellow card for Ibrahimovic, who is cutting an increasingly frustrated figure, the Swede penalised for an aerial challenge with Shawcross.
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55 min: Chance for Joe Allen! Oh, Stoke’s best move of the match – intricate one-touch play inside the box from Shaqiri and Arnautovic – ends with a weak shot from the Welshman, who simply rolls the ball into De Geas palms from eight yards out. Hughes has his hands on his head.
54 min: Herrera is lucky to still be on the pitch. He catches Allen just above the knee with a his studs. Allen’s knee buckles, and is perhaps lucky to escape serious injury. Yellow card for the Spaniard, he could could and should have seen red.
53 min: More good play from Grant, who rushes from his line and intercepts a lovely lofted pass to deny Lingard, who was clean through on goal. Sweeper-keeper, shot-stopper, hopeless romantic, the man has it all.
51 min: Lingard has looked lively today, and is expected to be named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad later today for the first time. It will be interesting to see if and when Mourinho bring on Martial – he decided this fixture last season, remember.
.@AnthonyMartial put the finishing touch on a superb move in our last game against Stoke. #MUFC https://t.co/WWDI6S8DHQ
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 2, 2016
48 min: Good link up play between Ibrahimovic and Herrera, but Pogba panics on the ball, and plays a through ball to nobody. More frustration for the home crowd. “Pogba it is again dead weight on the pitch,” emails Go Ghe. “He is so often out of position it is almost funny to watch. This is not a player for this price tag.”
46 min: Straight from the kick-off, Bony wins a free-kick from Herrera about 35 yards from goal. Shaqiri curls a cross the back post and Martins Indi heads across to have De Gea at full-stretch … but the Dutchman is ruled offside. Good start from Stoke.
Peeeeep! Here we go again. Lose this match, and Manchester United could be nine points behind Manchester City by the end of today. Is that already a bridge too far for Mourinho and co? In any case, the league leaders kick-off against Spurs in just over an hour.
Half-time punditry from Michael Owen and Robbie Savage, suggesting that Stoke City’s players (namely Geoff Cameron) should “shoot for the corner” when attempting a shot on goal. More insight as and when we have it.
Big game in Serie A tonight: Roma v Internazionale. Here’s some half-time reading for ya …
… and a half-time fact.
Man United vs Burnley on 29/10 will be United's 16th game of the season in all competitions, and the first one not broadcast live on UK TV.
— Jonathan Fisher (@fishplums) September 29, 2016
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Half-time: Manchester United 0-0 Stoke City
Lee Grant (and Pogba’s carelessless infront of goal) has kept Stoke in it.
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45 min: One minute added on here.
43 min: Shaqiri and Smalling get into it next to the corner flag. The Swiss is cornered, but a quick Cruyff-turn and then a flip-flap through the legs of the United defender, has the Stoke fans (and this MBMer) on their feet, but the winger goes down far too easily, trying to win a foul. The 5ft7in winger collided with Smalling’s arm. Shame, that, as it was a wonderful bit of skill. Dinho-esque.
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41 min: Shawcross goes through the back of Ibrahimovic. No foul. The referee has been very lenient this half.
39 min: Nothing is happening, save for a late Whelan tackle. “I’m not convinced that Stoke will get anything from today’s match but at least now Lee Grant rather than Given is in goals they look competitive,” emails Bernard Walsh. “Given has been way over the hill for 5 or 6 years now and his continued selection was risible. Everyone time Stoke’s opponents put in a shot or cross with Shay in goal I expected the net to bulge.”
36 min: Joe Allen crashes to the turf after minimal contact with Smalling. No foul! United play on and Ibrahimovic breaks the offside trap, but is forced wide and when the ball eventually finds Pogba on the edge, the Frenchman loses his footing.
34 min: Matt Dony has emailed with some thoughts on Bony. “Yes, he’s always had his weaknesses, but Bony was genuinely fantastic at Swansea. City paid too much for him, but he was a decent option for them, and had his moments during his time there. Now, though, he looks like he’s won a competition to be there or something. I miss Joe Allen, and I feel sorry for him.”
32 min: Stoke’s travelling fans have found their voices, sing Delilah with ferocious gusto. Shaqiri is popping up on the left flank now, alongside Arnautovic.
30 min: United are beginning to turn the screw here, it’s hard to see this staying at 0-0 for much longer. Lingard sends a sumptous cross to Ibrahimovic at the back-post, but Shawcross just gets across to block the Swede’s shot. 2012 ghosts, begone!
28 min: Bony is perhaps a little lucky to escape a caution, and a flying arm catches Bailly in the head. Mr Madley doesn’t see it.
26 min: A second outstanding save from Grant, this time to deny Lingard! Ibrahimovic leaves Martins Indi for dead on the left, pokes the ball to the near post, and Lingard is there to scor… no! Point-blank save!
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23 min: Bony mis-controls the ball for a third time this match. He’s not at the races, not the first time this season.
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21 min: Another outrageous miss from Pogba. From the ensuing corner, Blind whips a wonderful cross to the edge of the six-yard box, and Pogba, completely unmarked, plants his header three yards wide. Awful.
20 min: Mata has got his mojo back, hasn’t he. I haven’t seen him play this well in a Manchester United shirt. The Spaniard is playing with a smile on his face, and isn’t afraid to make brave decisions without the threat of a sighing crowd. It’s amazing what a goal can do to a man.
Mata neatly drags the ball back from Whelan and cutely chips the ball over Grant … no! The on-loan keeper back-pedals and just tips the ball over the bar, before himself falling into the net.
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18 min: Rashford is becoming increasingly influential on that left flank, cutting inside Johnson on that right foot of his. Johnson might know what he’s going to do, but there’s not a lot he can do about it.
16 min: Miss by Pogba! Oh he should have scored, after some quite sumptuous play from United: Zlatan, Mata and Lingard combining with some one-touch-mastery on the edge of the box. It falls to Pogba inside the area, but the Frenchman drags his shot wide, after taking his shot first time. It was easier to score!
“Ricardo Fuller, he would have scored that,” chant the Stoke crowd.
17: Stoke fans in fine voice after spotting Ricardo Fuller amongst their ranks #ManU 0-0 #SCFC
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) October 2, 2016
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14 min: Chance for Stoke! Allen gets free down the right, and he makes it to the byline, cuts the ball back to Bony on the penalty spot … airkick! But Cameron is there, coming onto the ball with Lampard-esque timing, but it’s a weak shot from the edge of the area, and De Gea gathers. Big chance!
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13 min: Yellow card for Valencia, who catches Pieters, a good half-an-hour after the Stoke full-back had played the ball. It was a bad, bad challenge, and the only reason why Valencia didn’t see red, IMO, is that his two feet were lead with a pointed two, rather than his studs.
12 min: A lull in the action. “Thanks to Charles Funna for his uplifting words,” emails Alun Pugh. “My train gets in to Guanzhou late tonight and will remember them as I try to find my hotel after the metro has stopped running. Did you know that “鲁尼最好的板凳上” is apparently “Rooney best on bench” btw?”
I didn’t.
10 min: No sign of Walter Samuel or Diego Milito yet. I hope they are wearing fine linens.
8 min: Arnautovic goes to work on Valencia for the first time – two stepovers later he delivers a cracking near post cross, but Bailly does fabulously well to beat Bony to the ball with a sliding tackle.
6 min: Mata flicks the ball up with his heel, and it does strike Pieters’ hand inside Stoke’s penalty area, but there’s no real conviction in United’s appeals and Bobby Madley waves away Mata’s protests. No penalty.
4 min: This is a good start from United, Mata dropping deep to collect the ball. That will do Grant a world of good, especially after his mix-up with Martins Indi lead to West Brom’s 94th-minute equaliser last week. This is just Grant’s second ever Premier League appearance.
2 min: Hands down, this is the save of the season thus far from Lee Grant. Paul Pogba toe poked a through ball past a crowd of Stoke players to Ibrahimovic, who had the time and space inside Stoke’s box to take three touches and blast a low shot inside the near post from all of six yards out. But Grant reads the shot, gets a strong right hand and makes sure Ibra can’t convert the rebound. An outstanding double save!
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PEEEEEEP! We’re off.
The teams are out, Manchester United in their red, with white shorts and black socks. Stoke City in their sky blue away kit. Squint and Glenn Whelan looks like Kevin De Bruyne. It’s a glorious day in Manchester.
“Do you think Shawcross has slept well tonight?” asks Martin Janzon. “Didn’t he get absolutely bullied by Ibrahimovic in that infamous game against Sweden where Ibra scored four goals? My reports say that Shawcross hasn’t been back in the English team since.”
You are correct Martin, Shawcross made his one and only appearance in Stockholm four years ago, and was largely a spectator as Zlatan had his way with him, and went on to score that goal. Zlatan turns 35 tomorrow but it will be interesting to see how Stoke manage him today, particularly at set pieces. United scored from three Danny Blind corners last week against Leicester and Stoke, traditionally so strong in the air, have struggled this season with the new harsher punishments around holding in the box.
Marko Arnautovic makes his 100th Premier League appearance today. When he plays well, Stoke play well.
🎥 As he prepares for his 100th @premierleague appearance, we dished out a few of Marko Arnautovic's goals for the Potters ⚽️ #SCFC #Arnie pic.twitter.com/ew8NKrwsPd
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) October 2, 2016
Both sides will wear black armbands in memory of David Herd, who has died at the age of 82. Nicknamed ‘Hot Shot’, Herd scored twice in the 1963 FA Cup final to earn Manchester United their first piece of silverware after the Munich air disaster. He also played for Stoke between 1968-70. RIP.
Everybody at #MUFC is saddened to learn of the passing of David Herd. He played 265 times and scored 145 goals between 1961 and 1968. pic.twitter.com/kDkfuYCmBP
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 2, 2016
José Mourinho’s guests of honour today? Diego Milito and Walter Samuel!
“I am very happy to say that I have two special guests at Old Trafford this afternoon and I cannot let their visit pass without saying a few words about them,” Mourinho wrote in his programme notes. “They are Diego Milito and Walter Samuel, two of my players from the magical Internazionale team that won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in 2010. Samuel was a brick wall in our defence and Diego, in the final weeks of that season, scored the cup-winning goal against Roma, the league-winning goal in Siena and two more goals in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. It goes without saying they both deserve my directors’ box seats this afternoon for their efforts.”
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My first email of the day comes from Charles Funna, who is either trying to help me become more spiritual, or delivering a message to Mark Hughes and his Stoke City side. I’m not sure. #Grown
“In life you go through difficult stages, and sometimes you feel like you will never come out of it. If you believe in him, it is possible to overcome all challenges. Then, when the time is right, you will understand why you had to go through those difficult stages. #Grown”
The same Manchester United team, then, that thrashed Premier League champions Leicester City 4-1 last weekend. Rooney is on the bench once again, as is Martial. Despite recovering from injury and illness respectively, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Luke Shaw fail to appear in the 18-man squad at all.
Stoke City are also unchanged from the side that drew to West Brom last week. On paper, the front three of Shaqiri-Bony-Arnautovic should strike fear into any Premier League defence but one suspects that this battle will be won in midfield, and that is where Hughes has deployed an extra body in Geoff Cameron. With Allen and Whelan alongside the American, it’s not the most exciting trio, and interestingly, there is no Giannelli Imbula on the bench for Stoke.
Today's teams
Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Blind, Ander Herrera, Pogba, Lingard, Mata, Rashford, Ibrahimovic.
Subs: Depay, Rooney, Martial, Carrick, Romero, Fellaini, Darmian.
Stoke: Grant, Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Cameron, Whelan, Allen, Shaqiri, Bony, Arnautovic.
Subs: Bardsley, Adam, Diouf, Walters, Given, Crouch, Krkic.
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)
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Preamble
On current form, José Mourinho couldn’t have wished for a better game to get the Manchester United faithful singing the good song again. Stoke City, bottom of the league, have conceded just under three goals a game this season, and have two points from six games thus far. A quiet summer saw just Joe Allen and Ramadan Sobhi arrive on a permanent basis, whilst loaners Bruno Martins Indi and Wilfried Bony have flattered to deceive since arriving in Staffordshire.
How the visitors today could do with a player like Mark Hughes in his Manchester United pomp, the Welshman volleying, bicycle-kicking and caressing his way into Old Trafford folklore. For the Stoke City manager, the international break cannot come soon enough, with Sunderland, Hull City and Swansea to follow later this month.
This is a big game for Paul Pogba, who has shown flashes of brilliance so far – not least in United’s last home game against Leicester, in which he played further up the field, closer to Ibrahimovic. With Rooney dropped to the bench, he put in a man-of-the match performance, completing more passes (99), passes in the Leicester half (65), touches (115), shots on target (two) and key passes (three) than any other player.
Rooney came off the bench to good effect in midweek in the Europa League, but with Juan Mata coming into form, and with Henrikh Mkhitaryan returning from injury, it is becoming more awkward to shoehorn him into this Manchester United side. It will be interesting to see what role, if any, Rooney plays today.
Kick-off: Midday (BST)
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