Stoke 2-2 Manchester United: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scores twice

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored twice as Stoke ended Manchester United's perfect start to the season with a 2-2 draw at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

Summer signing Choupo-Moting put the hosts ahead in the 43rd minute, only for United to reply before the break as Paul Pogba's header deflected in off Marcus Rashford.

Romelu Lukaku fired United in front in the second half, but Choupo-Moting levelled from a corner in the 63rd minute and Lukaku spurned a chance for a winner when he swiped over from close range with 10 minutes to go.

There was no handshake between the managers at the end of the game, with Mark Hughes accusing Jose Mourinho of sour grapes at the result.

The draw moves United back to the top of the Premier League table, above Manchester City on goal difference.

After a fast start to the game, it soon settled into a pattern as United dominated possession and forced Stoke back into their own half.

The visitors took their time to create any chances, though, with Rashford eventually testing Jack Butland with a couple of shots from inside the box.

David de Gea kept out a 25-yard shot from Xherdan Shaqiri at the other end, but Stoke had otherwise hardly threatened before Choupo-Moting swept in Mame Biram Diouf's cross in the 43rd minute.

United responded swiftly as Nemanja Matic flicked on a corner and Pogba's header went in off Rashford.

Although Stoke made a positive start to the second half, it was United who struck first when Lukaku finished past Butland at the second attempt.

De Gea made a superb reaction stop to deny Jese from close range, but there was nothing he could do to prevent Choupo-Moting levelling from a corner shortly afterwards.

Lukaku could have won it for United when he swiped over Antonio Valencia's cross from 10 yards out, while Butland made a sharp late stop on the line to keep out a header from Kurt Zouma towards his own goal.

Match stats

• Manchester United haven't won any of their five Premier League away games at Stoke since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 (D3 L2) - only at Chelsea, Tottenham (4 each) and Cardiff (once) have they failed to win in the league since the Scotsman left.
• 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.
• No player has scored more goals in their first four Premier League games for Man Utd than Romelu Lukaku (4, same as Louis Saha, Robin van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic).
• Mark Hughes has become only the second manager to go unbeaten in four consecutive Premier League managerial clashes with Jose Mourinho, after Ronald Koeman (5 games).

Man of the match - Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

While Kurt Zouma impressed at the back for Stoke, it was another of their summer signings who stood out the most.

Having only scored three goals for Schalke last season, Choupo-Moting opened his Stoke account by getting ahead of Eric Bailly to sweep in a cross from the right. He then headed in from a corner to level the game in the 63rd minute.

The 28-year-old held the ball up well, was positive in possession and is the first player to score a Premier League double against Manchester United since Alexis Sanchez in October 2015.

The managers

Mark Hughes on lack of a handshake at the final whistle: "I pushed him because he was in my technical area, maybe that's why he didn't want to shake my hand. Maybe it's because it has to be viewed as a negative result for him, coming to Stoke when everybody expected them to beat us.

"It's a negative. Sometimes managers of top-six clubs don't take negative results too kindly. Sometimes, because they're not used to having to take negative results, sometimes they react in the wrong way. Maybe he reacted in the wrong way.

Jose Mourinho: "I think it probably is a fair result. One team wanted to win, another team wanted to draw. They defended a lot and it is becoming quite trendy in the Premier League, this way of defending now, but they did well and physically they were very strong and they probably deserved the point."

What next?

Manchester United start their Champions League campaign with a home match against Basel on Tuesday. They then welcome Wayne Rooney back on Nissan Super Sunday as Everton visit Old Trafford.

Stoke travel to Newcastle next Saturday before home games against Chelsea and Southampton.

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