Stoke 2-2 Manchester United: Highlights and recap

Stoke drew 2-2 with Manchester United at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 9. Here are all the highlights from the Premier League match.

Stoke and Manchester United played out a wild 2-2 draw at the bet365 Stadium in Saturday’s late kickoff, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s brace enough to ensure United dropped their first points of the season.

The match got off to a frantic start, with Jese and Choupo-Moting both getting in behind the United defense early on, but settled after the first 10 minutes into a more predictable pattern, with the away side dominating the ball and Stoke looking to play on the break.

The Potters broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute. Darren Fletcher’s pinpoint cross-field pass found Mame Biram Diouf in space on the right wing. Diouf’s touch and cross were excellent, and Choupo-Moting finished emphatically after getting goal side of Eric Bailly in the six-yard box.

The lead was short-lived, however, as United equalized from a corner minutes later. Paul Pogba met Nemanja Matic’s flick on, but his header took a deflection off Marcus Rashford, who claimed the goal.

Stoke began the second-half with their best period of the match, with the front three of Choupo-Moting, Jese Rodriguez and Xherdan Shaqiri all looking dangerous, but it was United who took the lead in the 57th minute.

Romelu Lukaku was the scorer, played in by Henrikh Mkhitaryan. His initial shot was well saved by Jack Butland, but he was able to force the rebound past the Stoke keeper.

But like Stoke’s lead in the first half, United’s in the second was short-lived. And like United’s, the Potters’ equalizer came from a corner, when Choupo-Moting headed in Shaqiri’s cross at the back post.

United had their chances late on, and Butland made one stunning save in second-half stoppage time, but this was a well-deserved point for Potters side that look rejuvenated after a bad season in 2016-17.

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Highlights

Stoke were excellent, and have now picked up four points from home matches against Arsenal and United, and move onto seven points and into 10th place. As for United, they remain top of the league on goal difference, but looked vulnerable here for the first time this season, and are now level on points with rivals Manchester City.