Stoke 2-2 Man Utd: Five talking points from the game

We pick out the talking points from Manchester United’s 2-2 draw at Stoke – including headline-grabber Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

The Cameroon international hit a double to end United’s perfect start to the season, with his goals sandwiching scores for Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku.

Here are the key issues from the encounter…
Choupo-Moting steals the show

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting nearly missed out on playing Manchester United with a hamstring injury. Instead, he was Stoke’s star. The forward had to be subbed out of Cameroon’s 4-0 defeat to Nigeria last week with an injury concern and Stoke boss Mark Hughes described him as doubtful for Saturday’s fixture.

But Choupo-Moting was fit and firing, and – after arriving at Stoke as a free agent in August, following three years at Schalke – scored his first goals for the club with a close-range finish under pressure from Eric Bailly to break the deadlock and then heading in powerfully at the back post to grab a point for his side.

The 28-year-old’s arrival at Stoke didn’t attract too much attention – but he’ll certainly be in the headlines after this performance.
Fortress Stoke

After beating Arsenal at the bet365 Stadium in their first home game of the season, Stoke again frustrated one of the big boys on their own patch on Saturday.

Utd’s trouble at Stoke
Manchester United haven’t won any of their five Premier League away games at Stoke since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 (D3 L2)
A trip to Stoke has a reputation as one of the toughest away days on the calendar, but Mark Hughes’ side actually ranked 14th last season in the home form table. So the manager deserves credit for overseeing two impressive results against likely title challengers already this term.

Next up at the bet365 Stadium are Chelsea – and the champions won’t be relishing their trip to the Potteries.

Defensive wobbles from United

It may seem harsh to be criticise a Manchester United defence which, after three clean sheets, only conceded for the first time this season – but Jose Mourinho will no doubt be keen to get his backline onto the training field ahead of their Champions League clash with Basel on Tuesday night.

United finally concede
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s opener was the first goal Manchester United had conceded in 535 minutes of Premier League football, since Harry Kane’s strike at White Hart Lane in May.
While Stoke boss Hughes had teasingly suggested he had spotted some weaknesses to exploit in this United side – without revealing exactly what they were – it is clear they will have to tighten up if they are to challenge for major silverware this term.

Stoke had success with balls in behind the United defence, but Bailly and Phil Jones switched off for the opener and a marking mix-up involving the England man left Choupo-Moting free to head home a second. There was also a world-class save from David de Gea moments before that leveller when Jese was afforded room to strike at goal.
Stoke were allowed five shots on target in this game. That’s the most United have faced in a Premier League match so far this season and they only faced more on seven occasions in 2016/17. So while United have made one of the best starts to the season in terms of goals against, there remains room for improvement.

Lukaku on target again – but misses key chance

At the other end of the field, though, Romelu Lukaku continues to hit the net for his new club. The Manchester United striker’s effort on Saturday, when he converted at the second attempt after a superb save from Jack Butland, was his 150th in club football.

Forty-one of those came for Anderlecht, 17 for West Brom, 87 for Everton and now five for United. He’s also scored in each of his first four Premier League games for United – only Louis Saha, Robin van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have done that before.
However, despite his good goal-scoring start, the Belgian has missed some good opportunities already this season – and he really should have won this match for the visitors with an 81st-minute chance. Anthony Martial produced a superb pass for the centre forward, but Lukaku didn’t connect properly and sent the ball flying over the bar from 10 yards out.

Lukaku has been presented with more ‘big chances’ – defined by Opta as moments when the player should reasonably be expected to score – than any other player in the Premier League so far this season. But of those seven clear-cut chances, he has scored four and spurned three.

It’s far from a terrible conversion rate – of players who have had at least four big chances, only Gabriel Jesus (three out of five) has a better success percentage. But perfectionist Mourinho will be demanding his £90m man seizes those decisive moments – especially when three points can be clinched.

Rashford notches another

He may not have known much about it, but Marcus Rashford scored his 12th Premier League goal for Manchester United when Paul Pogba’s header cannoned in off the young England striker.
It won’t go down as one of his finest but because the goal has been attributed to the 19-year-old, he has moved into joint-second on the list of top teenage scorers for United in the Premier League era, alongside Ryan Giggs. Only Wayne Rooney (15) scored more as a teen.

Rashford turns 20 on October 31 – meaning he has to score four goals in that time to set a new benchmark. Can he do it? He’s certainly in good form. After hitting the winner for England against Slovakia earlier in the week, he impressed again at Stoke, only denied another goal by two smart saves from international colleague Butland.
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