Stoke City 2-2 Manchester United: Premier League as it happened
Jose Mourinho's side fail to make it four wins from four.
- Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scores twice to deny Manchester United their fourth consecutive win.
- Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku on target for United who are now level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table.
In a flash, United take the lead! Stoke shoot themselves in the foot despite breaking on what looked to be an initially promising counter, but Allen loses possession with Darmian dispossessing him. The Italian moves forward and finds Mkhitaryan who threads a wonderful pass through for Lukaku. Butland does brilliantly to stop his first effort, but the Belgian sweeps home his fourth goal for the club at the second time of asking.
Stoke surrender possession and Mkhitaryan can slide a clever ball through for Rashford. You would fancy the United youngster to beat most centre halves in the game in a race to the ball but in this case, he is up against Zouma, one of the fastest around, who just about manages to get across and clear the danger.
It's been an electric start here. Choupo-Moting almost creeps in down the inside right, forcing de Gea to come out and make an important block before United race down the other end to launch their first attack of the game. Rashford gets in behind the Stoke backline after a mistake from Cameron and manages to shift the ball across goal for Lukaku, but Zouma gets a crucial touch on it it to knock it out of the Belgian's path.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has overcome an injury and is fit to start for Stoke this afternoon in support of Jese upfront. Kevin Wimmer comes in for his Potters debut in place of the injured Ryan Shawcross, with Darren Fletcher captain in what is just his fourth appearance for the club, against his former employers.
Jose Mourinho makes three changes to the side that beat Leicester just before the international break. Ander Herrera comes into replace his fellow Spaniard Juan Mata with Matteo Darmian in at left-back ahead of Daley Blind. Marcus Rashford gets the nod ahead of Anthony Martial on the left of the attack.
The strength of United's squad will get its first thorough tests in September with the club's return to the Champions League and a League Cup third round tie against Burton Albion waiting for them in the coming weeks.
Mourinho named almost identical starting XIs in his first three games this season – with the only exception being Anthony Martial's selection ahead of Marcus Rashford in the 2-0 win over Leicester City last time out.
The United boss expects that to change however and anticipates every member of his squad getting game time in the coming weeks with the return of the Champions League looming. Mourinho said:
"The players are ready to play, the decision to leave people on the bench is hard, the decision to leave people at home is hard. The fact that now we play every three days, in relation to that, I think is good because the players will feel now that they are all involved.
"I think, by the end of September every player [will have] played, every player [will have] started matches because it's the normal movement of the squad and that is not a problem at all - that makes my control of my human resources better, easier and simple. But the matches are difficult and we have always the risk of being unable to keep a winning run, which is really difficult to do."
Team news: Stoke City
The Potters will be without captain Ryan Shawcross for the visit of his former club after the centre-back suffered a back injury in training. The 29-year-old, who agreed a new contract last month, has tweaked ligaments in that area although tge fitness concern is not linked to the back problems the England defender has previously suffered from.
Team news: Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has the exact same group of players to choose from as he did before the international break with no new injuries to report. Ashley Young and Luke Shaw are still working their way back to full fitness after lengthy layoffs while Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic remain absent with long-term injuries.
Three wins from three. 10 goals scored. None conceded. It's all going rather well for Jose Mourinho. His Manchester United side have thoroughly hit the ground running this season, easing past their opponents with a swagger and confidence of genuine Premier League title contenders.
While the manager's penchant for success in his second season has so many already dreaming of a first league title in five years, it is worth remembering United were three for three this time last year, before they were brought crashing back down to earth after a home defeat to Manchester City.
Stoke City will be in the mood for inflicting similar damage, having already beaten Arsenal on their own turf this season.
Stick around, all your team news is on the way.
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