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Sunday 10 September 2017

Stoke city 2-2 Manchester United

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored twice as Stoke ended Manchester United's 100% start to the new Premier League season.

Summer signing Choupo-Moting put Stoke ahead in the 43rd minute, powerfully finishing a fine team move for his first goal for the club.
That was the first goal United had conceded in 535 minutes of league football, a run stretching back to last season, but Jose Mourinho's side equalised less than three minutes later.
Paul Pogba headed towards goal from a corner and the ball was inadvertently directed into the net off the back of Marcus Rashford's head.

Romelu Lukaku put the Red Devils in front shortly after the break but Choupo-Moting levelled in the 63rd minute, heading in Xherdan Shaqiri's corner at the back post.

Defensive mistakes cost United

United have been free-flowing in their three victories so far this season, but on a ground where they have not won since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson they were again left frustrated.
For the first goal, Mame Biram Diouf was given too much space to cross and Eric Bailly lost Choupo-Moting in the penalty area. For the hosts' second, Phil Jones stumbled to allow the Cameroon winger to head home unmarked.
But United had chances to win the game, with Lukaku's miss late in the second half a poor effort.
Rashford had two efforts saved in the first half by Butland and it would have been harsh on Stoke had the England goalkeeper been beaten in stoppage time through a deflection off Kurt Zouma.
Instead Butland dropped low to his right to palm away the ball and secure a second successive draw that takes Mark Hughes' side up to 10th.

Choupo-Moting provides finish for Stoke


Hughes's has signed a number of flair players in recent years with varying degrees of success, but Choupo-Moting showed he could well be the clinical player Stoke have been searching for.
The 28-year-old, who joined on a free transfer following the end of his contract at Bundesliga club Schalke, was effective playing in a fluid forward line alongside Shaqiri and Jese Rodriguez.
Shaqiri had two strikes from distance smartly saved by David de Gea in the first half and Jese forced the Spaniard into a sensational save in the second period from point-blank range.
Former United pair Darren Fletcher and Diouf also impressed and each played a key role in the Potters' well-worked opener.
Fletcher found Diouf with an accurate cross-field before the wing-back's excellent early centre was swept home by Choupo-Moting.

'I offered my hand but Jose didn't want to take it'

Mourinho and Hughes did not shake hands at full-time after the pair exchanged words earlier in the match.

Former United striker Hughes said: "I'm not sure why he didn't want to shake my hand. I didn't think there were any issues.
"There was a time he came into my technical box and I told him to get out but that was it. Maybe that was what upset him."
Mourinho swiftly ended his post-match interview with the BBC after being asked about the incident.
"I prefer not to answer the question. Your question is a bad question," he said.
"It makes it look like it's my fault, my problem, and your question is not correct. I'm sorry."

It is understood Mourinho felt he had been insulted by Hughes after stepping into the Welshman's technical area.

'One team tried to win' - what they said

Stoke manager Mark Hughes: "He [Choupo-Moting] will get the headlines and rightly so because he was a big part of the performance and the result overall.
"He should be pleased and I was delighted when I got him here. It was a decent bit of business.
"We were up against the best side in the Premier League judging by what they have shown so far. We didn't allow them as much space and everything I asked the guys to do, they fulfilled."
Manchester United Jose Mourinho: "I'm not satisfied with a point because we were the team closer to winning. It is a result I accept, though.
"One team tried to win, one team tried to get the point but they fought hard to get that point - they defended well, they counter-attacked and in set-pieces they are powerful.
"That was a great save by David de Gea - the only one he did, because in the first half there was only a couple of slow shots by Xherdan Shaqiri.
"But we couldn't protect the corner and he was punished, we were punished."

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