FULL TIME: Stoke City 2-2 Manchester United
And that’s that! A wonderfully entertaining game ends with the spoils shared. It’s a fair result, because both teams sparkled in attack, going for it pretty much from the get-go. Stoke move into the top half of the table with that point, while United reclaim top spot on goal difference over their neighbours Manchester City.
Updated
90 min +4: A bit of head tennis on the edge of the Stoke area. Pogba tries to Mark Hughes a spectacular bicycle kick home from 12 yards. It’s high and wide.
90 min +3: Diouf takes possession of the drop ball at the restart, and delivers it back to Manchester United, who were on the attack. On the touchline, Mourinho applauds the sportsmanship.
90 min +2: ... the ball’s swung deep, flicked on by Jones. With Pogba lurking, Zouma deflects the ball towards the bottom left. It’s going in, but Butland parries it with a strong hand! A fine save! Zouma clears, and then play’s stopped for a head injury to Wimmer.
90 min +1: United are pinning Stoke back. It’s the way they’ve rolled historically. Jones bustles down the right and earns a corner. In it goes, and ...
90 min: Lukaku blooters the set piece straight into the wall. That wasn’t very good. There will be three added minutes.
89 min: Matic rakes a long pass down the middle. Stoke don’t really deal with it, and the ball breaks wide right for Mata, who looks to return it inside for Lingard. But Butland smothers the cross. United come again, though, Martial switching the ball from the left to the right. Mata picks up possession, and is clumsily clattered to the ground by Allen, just to the right of the D. A free kick in a very dangerous position!
87 min: Zouma is upended by Martial as he zips down the right. Shaqiri’s free kick is a bit better this time, but not much, and Valencia clears easily enough from a tight spot out on the Stoke left.
86 min: There’s been some handbags between the managers on the touchline, incidentally, Mourinho encroaching into Hughes’s technical area, and receiving a light go-away shove in the chest as a result. Nothing particularly serious, to be honest, all part of the pantomime.
84 min: Before the corner can be taken, Lingard comes on for Mkhitaryan. Then the set piece, which leads to Darmian converting in the rugby style.
83 min: Shaqiri curls a dreadful effort into the arms of De Gea. United scoot up the other end, Mata crossing dangerously from the left. Allen, tracking back, is forced to head behind at the expense of a corner.
82 min: Pogba shoves Allen over in the playground style, as the Stoke man scuttles down the right. A free kick, and a chance to load the box.
81 min: Martial turns on the jets and makes space down the right. He curls a stunning low cross into the area. The ball sits up on a plate for Lukaku, six yards out. He must score, but leans back and shins it over the crossbar. What a chance!
79 min: United spend a little time hovering on the front edge of Stoke’s final third, but the home side hold their shape and there’s no space for the visitors to break through.
77 min: Berahino, Zouma and Shaqiri take turns to annoy Bailly on the edge of the United area. Bailly has the opportunity to clear, but doesn’t, and eventually concedes a corner. Shaqiri takes, and attempts to catch De Gea out with a cheeky curler towards his near post. For a second it looks like flying in, but ripples the side netting instead.
76 min: Pogba makes a little space for himself 30 yards out with a cute drop of the shoulder, before sending a pea-roller straight at Butland.
75 min: Jese is replaced by Saido Berahino.
74 min: Mata’s first act is to drop deep on the right and look for his fellow sub Martial with a curling cross into the area. There’s too much weight on the ball and Butland claims with ease.
72 min: A double change by Manchester United. Juan Mata and Anthony Martial come on for Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera.
70 min: Choupo-Moting is brimful of confidence. He shimmies in from the left and has a whack from 25 yards. The effort flies well wide left. United counter through Lukaku, who attempts to find Rashford in the middle with a dinked cross from the right. Butland reads and snaffles.
68 min: Some good work by Choupo-Moting, who rides a couple of weak United tackles in the middle of the park before swinging the ball wide right for Jese. The resulting cross back into the area is overcooked, but Stoke have their tails up once more.
67 min: One corner leads to another. Butland punches the second miles clear. Valencia tries to return it with extreme prejudice, shooting low for the bottom left from 25 yards. It’s just wide. This match is great fun.
65 min: United come straight back at Stoke, Valencia, Matic and Pogba busying themselves down the right. Eventually Pogba breaks into a bit of space and smacks a shot goalwards from a tight angle. Butland does very well to turn the ball round the post for a corner.
GOAL! Stoke City 2-2 Manchester United (Choupo-Moting 63)
So this starts with a wonder save by David de Gea! Pieters hooks a cross in from the left. Jese meets it, flashing a shot from the corner of the six-yard box. It has to go in, but De Gea somehow fingertips it over! What reactions! And what a futile effort, because the resulting corner, coming in from the right, is hit long, missed by Jones, and Choupo-Moting rises to slam a simple header into the top left from close range! Both teams have taken turns to give up a lead in short order!
Updated
61 min: Bailly plays a quick ball forward from deep. Mkhitaryan spins and shuttles it further down the inside-right channel, releasing Rashford on goal. But the flag goes up. The Stoke fans cheer ironically, presumably convinced Lukaku was offside for United’s second goal. But both decisions have been correct.
59 min: Jese’s over-elaboration on the Stoke counter really cost his team there. Harsh to say, because he had eaten up half of the pitch with a marvellous run upfield. But he dillied and dallied with options either side, was stripped of possession, and United showed him how to counter in the fuss-free style.
GOAL! Stoke City 1-2 Manchester United (Lukaku 57)
Rashford pops up on the right and earns a corner. Once again, United let Stoke stream upfield from their set piece. Jese makes good down the right. But he runs out of steam, and is stripped of the ball. United counter the counter. Mkhitaryan chips a clever pass down the middle to bust Lukaku clear. Lukaku’s first shot is parried brilliantly by Butland, but he picks up the rebound and knocks it home!
Updated
55 min: So having said that, the game suddenly turns a little scrappy. But out of a midfield nonsense, Allen bursts down the middle with the ball and slips it forward and right to Jese, who threatens to break into the box and shoot. Darmian comes across to cover brilliantly.
53 min: This is a free-flowing, open game, and both sides appear hell bent on attack. Surely there will be another goal, though good luck calling the team to score it.
51 min: Pogba shovels a pass down the inside-right channel to release Mkhitaryan into space. Mkhitaryan chests down and lashes a low shot goalwards. Butland kicks clear, and it turns out the United midfielder’s offside anyway.
49 min: Now it’s Stoke’s turn to earn a corner, Allen setting Pieters away down the left with a fine crossfield pass. Pieters crosses deep, forcing Darmian to head behind. Choupo-Moting attempts to chest the set piece down in the six-yard box, but the ball doesn’t fall for a shot and United clear.
48 min: ... another corner’s won. The second is half cleared, though Pogba is given time and chance to shoot from 25 yards. His effort goes straight down Butland’s throat.
47 min: Pogba blasts through a couple of challenges in the midfield and sets Rashford off down the inside left. The striker looks to curl one into the top right, but Zouma blocks. United come again, though winning a corner down the right. From which ...
Here we go again! Bruno Martins-Indi comes on for Geoff Cameron, who has picked up a knock. United get the ball rolling for the second half.
Shameless half-time plug. I’ve got a new book out. I know, I know, but a man needs to eat, and anyone interested in the history of English football before the Premier League circus came to town could do worse. An oblique nod to Abbott and Costello, it’s called The Title, and contents include: Stanley Matthews throwing a diva fit; Terry Venables and George Graham’s late-night casino shame; the trenchant political analysis of erstwhile Leeds full back Bert Sproston; and a qualified doctor green-flagging a pre-match booze-and-fags frenzy at the Arsenal. Enjoy!
HALF TIME: Stoke City 1-1 Manchester United
A lively end-to-end half which promised goals, and ultimately delivered. Stoke will be fuming, having given up their lead after a couple of minutes, but the scoreline seems about right. It’s been entertaining. More to come!
GOAL! Stoke City 1-1 Manchester United (Rashford 45)
Mkhitaryan loops the ball to the near post. Matic rises and flicks on. Pogba flashes a header goalwards from six yards. The ball takes a deflection off Rashford, and flies into the top right! Pogba celebrates the goal, and Rashford doesn’t claim it, but it’s surely Rashford’s goal.
Updated
45 min: United try to respond immediately, Darmian winning a corner off Diouf down the left. And from the set piece...
GOAL! Stoke City 1-0 Manchester United (Choupo-Moting 43)
United win a corner, but do nothing with it, and Stoke stream upfield. After a few patient passes hither and yon, Fletcher, on the left, sprays a magnificent ball towards Diouf on the opposite flank. Diouf is in plenty of space, and he flashes a wonderful cross towards Choupo-Moting, who hammers a sidefoot home from six yards! United finally concede a Premier League goal this season, and it’s a peach!
Updated
41 min: Some fine pressing at high speed down the Stoke left by Allen and Choupo-Moting. Lukaku caught sleeping. Shakiri is eventually sent scampering down the touchline, but his ball inside is aimless and United break upfield, very nearly releasing Rashford on goal. Not quite.
39 min: Some head tennis along the front of the United area. The ball drops to the feet of Choupo-Moting, who tries to release Jese into the box with a cheeky backheel. He doesn’t connect properly, but full marks for ambition. That’s a rare sortie into opposition territory for the hosts, though. After a promising start, they’ve retreated into their shell somewhat.
38 min: Another free kick for United out on the right, Fletcher again the culprit. Matic’s delivery is appalling, with the box loaded. It was nowhere near to beating the first man. Stoke hack clear.
36 min: It’s gone slightly flat. Stoke are doing nothing in attack. United are dominating possession, but are happy to play a patient game, stroking it around in the middle of the park quite a lot.
34 min: United are beginning to turn the pressure up a little bit. More joy for Valencia down the right. He’s in loads of space, but opts to shoot from a tight angle. Marco van Basten would have thought twice from there.
6 am, Saturday 27 January 1973. The BT Sport clock has now disappeared totally, and I’m not sure if it will ever return. We know exactly where we all are, though, don’t you fret.
31 min: Valencia tears off down the right, exchanges a one-two with Lukaku, and fizzes a dangerous low ball towards Rashford at the near post. Zouma hacks it behind for a corner that results in Matic’s wild shot from distance. Zouma’s intervention wasn’t far away from an own goal, incidentally; the Stoke fans certainly had their hearts in their mouths as he flashed that one away.
30 min: Shaqiri, his dander up, has another go from 25 yards out on the left. It’s a rising diagonal effort which looks on target for the top right, but De Gea is behind it all the way and holds on spectacularly. This match is threatening to turn into an entertaining affair. Just not quite yet. On another day, though, there would have been goals already. It’s not been for the want of both teams trying.
28 min: Good work by Allen and Diouf down the right, some crisp passing. They set up Shaqiri, to the right of the United D. Shaqiri has a dig towards the bottom right. It’s a fast bobbling effort which De Gea does extremely well to collect. And there’s more quality goalkeeping up the other end as United attack through Rashford down the inside-left. A strong hand palms the shot away from the bottom right. Lukaku, looking to pick up the pieces, is flagged offside.
26 min: Shaqiri hoicks a long ball down the inside-right channel with a view to releasing Jese. A little too much on the pass, and De Gea is able to collect.
24 min: Bailly, quarterbacking from deep, slips a stunning pass down the inside-right channel to release Rashford. The striker enters the area, and lashes a low shot towards the bottom left, but Butland clears well with his feet. United’s best moment so far.
22 min: Shaqiri does well to win a ball in the midfield and set Stoke away on the attack. He feeds Jese, who is very close to slipping Pieters into an awful lot of space down the left. But Bailly and Valencia are on hand to snuff out the danger.
25 o’clock: BT Sport still haven’t fixed their on-screen timer. I must buy a watch. But worry not, I think we’re on top of this situation.
20 min: Valencia earns a corner down the right. It’s half cleared, but United regain possession and Matic very nearly releases Lukaku into the area with a chip down the inside-left channel. The flag goes up for offside.
19 min: This is a bit better from Choupo-Moting: an attempt to chest down and Le Tissier a volley into the top right from the best part of 40 yards, De Gea having wandered off his line. It’s high and wide, but not by a ridiculous amount. A decent effort, though De Gea was never in serious danger of being embarrassed.
18 min: Rashford plays a ridiculous crossfield pass straight to Choupo-Moting. United are light at the back, and Stoke have men over on the right. But the striker dillies and dallies for the second time in this game, and the chance to put United under some serious pressure is gone.
16 min: United knock it around the middle awhile. Stoke keep their shape. Eventually Herrera gets fed up and chips a ball down the inside-right channel. No black shirts near it. Butland comes out to gather.
14 min: Fletcher flaps his hand at a ball and concedes a free kick out on the United right. United load the box with big lads, but Mkhitaryan opts to fire a low delivery. Not a great idea. Shaqiri batters clear.
12 min: United stroke it around the back awhile. Jones slips and for a second looks like letting Shaqiri away on goal, but regains his balance and sorts himself out. After a very open and hectic start, this has calmed down a tad.
10 min: After that early flurry, a bit of a lull. United try to up the tempo as Darmian bursts down the left and sends in a cross for Lukaku, but once again Stoke deal with the situation pretty well.
8 min: Rashford is sent scampering down the left by a fine Pogba pass, but he can’t dig out a cross; Cameron closes him down and tidies up. Stoke have started fairly confidently here, but this United side don’t look the sort to panic.
986 min: Incidentally, the clock on BT Sport is up the spout, so please forgive me if my timings are a wee bit out. I’ll try my best to work things out.
4 min: This is quite the start! Jese makes good down the right and dribbles a shot across the face of goal and out of play on the left. Then there’s another Stoke attack, Diouf making his presence felt on the right. A corner, which De Gea claims, but only after letting the ball slip from his grip and onto the turf. Fortunately for United, there were no red-and-white shirts around him to benefit.
2 min: There’s a minor brouhaha as Choupo-Moting falls over in United’s crowded box. No penalty. United then zip up the other end through Rashford down the right. United are two on one! Rashford also turns down an opportunity to power into the box, slipping the ball to his left for Lukaku. But the big striker can’t get the ball out from under his feet, and Zouma is able to block. It really should be 1-1.
1 min: Within 30 seconds, Jese hooks a ball over his own head down the right wing and sets Choupo-Moting clear down the flank! But the striker glides rather than drives into the box, and instead of powering a shot on goal, he allows the ball to be bundled out of play for a corner.
After a last blast of Delilah, we’re off! The home side get the ball rolling. A rollicking atmosphere at Stoke, but when is there ever not?
The teams are out! Stoke City wear their famous red-and-white-striped shirts (think Stanley Matthews); Manchester United are in 1990s retro-chic black (think Sharp Viewcam). We’ll be off in a minute!
Jose Mourinho meanwhile takes the opportunity to show Stoke some respect, but doesn’t say much else of note. “Of course we have an important match on Tuesday, but we are focused on this match first. It’s difficult enough to do that.”
Mark Hughes speaks! “We’ve started brightly enough at the beginning of a new season. But today is a big test, we’ll have to play well. There are always elements of play we think we can take advantage of. It’s important to get Kevin Wimmer out there for his home debut, though it’s a blow to lose Ryan Shawcross to a back injury. But our back three are all good players.”
Stoke City make two changes to the team sent out at West Bromwich Albion before the international break. Ryan Shawcross is unfit while Bruno Martins Indi drops to the bench. In come new signing Kevin Wimmer and Mame Biram Diouf.
Manchester United relegate three of the side that started the Old Trafford victory over Leicester City to the bench. Daley Blind, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial step down; Matteo Darmian, Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford take their spots.
The teams
Stoke City: Butland, Zouma, Wimmer, Cameron, Diouf, Fletcher, Allen, Pieters, Shaqiri, Jese, Choupo-Moting.
Subs: Berahino, Tymon, Martins Indi, Adam, Crouch, Haugaard, Sobhi.
Manchester United: de Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Darmian, Herrera, Matic, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Lukaku, Rashford.
Subs: Mata, Martial, Smalling, Lingard, Carrick, Blind, Romero.
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire).
Welcome to the big Saturday evening match ...
... in which Manchester United look to reclaim top spot in the Premier League. The form book suggests they’re in good shape to do it: they’ve won their first three matches without conceding a goal, while scoring ten. Stoke, by contrast, have only managed to find the net 11 times in their last 14 Premier League games.
Still, one of those came at the Bet 365 Stadium against Arsenal, and it proved the Potters have what it takes to see off the big boys. They’ll also take heart from their recent home record against United: they’ve not lost this particular league fixture since April 2013, winning two and drawing two, a record that would have been three and one were it not for a last-minute Wayne Rooney free kick back in January.
United look a more expansive proposition now, however, so Stoke will need good performances from Jack Butland and their new defensive signing Kevin Wimmer if they’re to get anything out of this game. You’d have thought. But who knows anything? Will Stoke turn a half-decent start to their season into something special? Or will United further establish their title-challenging credentials at a notoriously awkward venue? It’ll be a blast in the Potteries finding out. It’s on!
Kick off: 5.30pm.
Updated
