Posted on: 05:40 Sun, 02 Oct 2016



Joe Allen scored a late equaliser to cancel out Anthony Martial’s opener as Stoke City came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

United, who again started with Wayne Rooney as a substitute, could have been ahead inside the opening two minutes after Paul Pogba played in Zlatan IB.rahimovic, but the striker was unable to find a way past Lee Grant, who also got up to deny him on the rebound.

Stoke had a great chance of their own to take the lead on 15 minutes as Allen got to the byline before picking out Geoff Cameron in the box, only for the American to scuff his shot into the arms of David De Gea.

A great United move a few moments later brought another opportunity for the home side as Jesse Lingard eventually fed the ball to Pogba, who fired his strike just inches past the post.
And United kept up their first-half pressure as Juan Mata saw a chipped effort tipped over the bar by Grant, before the Stoke keeper soon turned away a Lingard strike at his near post with another excellent stop.

The Red Devils were perhaps lucky to see Ander Herrera remain on the pitch shortly after the restart when he was shown just a yellow card for a high tackle on Allen.
Allen was involved in the action again moments later when he got on the end of a Stoke move inside the United box, but could only muster a poor attempt at goal that was comfortably saved by De Gea.

United were less threatening in the final third in the opening stages of the second half, though Pogba and Mata both saw shots from distance comfortably saved by Grant and Ander Herrera fired wide.
Jose Mourinho opted to make a double substitution in the 69th minute in an attempt to rouse his side — with Martial and Rooney both taking to the field — and he was rewarded for the switch just two minutes later.

Martial picked up the ball inside the box, after Rooney had been involved in the build-up, before the Frenchman then curled into the far corner with a fine finish that left Grant with no chance.

Buoyed by the opener, United kept coming at Stoke as the game wore on, with Daley Blind seeing a goalbound strike blocked and IB.rahimovic again being denied by Grant.

But with United looking set to see out the closing stages of the game, Stoke found an equaliser in the 82nd minute as De Gea fumbled a save with Jonathan Walters then forcing the rebound onto the bar, before Allen arrived to convert into the back of the net.

There was still time for IB.rahimovic to have another go at goal for United, but once more Grant was on hand to thwart him with the save, while Pogba was presented with an even better chance in the 89th minute but could only direct his close-range header against the bar.