Man U frustrated by late Stoke strike
Allen scores in 82nd after De Gea fumble
MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s stumbles in the Premier League continued yesterday with a 1-1 home draw against struggling Stoke, who left Old Trafford with a point for the first time in 36 years.
United, who have won just one of its last four league games, took the lead in the 69th minute through Anthony Martial’s curling strike — two minutes after he came on as a substitute.
Joe Allen grabbed an 82nd-minute equaliser for Stoke following a rare mistake by David de Gea, who fumbled a long-range shot to allow Jon Walters to scoop a cross against the bar before Allen smashed home from close range.
United failed to beat opponents who had started the day at the foot of the table, still haven’t won in seven games in the league this season, and have lost on their last 13 visits to Old Trafford dating back to 1980.
Jose Mourinho’s team created plenty of chances but faded in the second half, less than three days after a similar lineup played in the Europa League. Stoke were also thankful for a superb display from 33-year-old goalkeeper Lee Grant, making only his second appearance in the Premier League.
CHELSEA END BARREN RUN
Chelsea, who had suffered back-to-back defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal, were held by Hull City for an hour before curling shots from Willian and Diego Costa secured a 2-0 win on Saturday.
Costa leads the Premier League scoring chart with six goals, although it was Chelsea’s defending that would have most pleased manager Antonio Conte after they had leaked seven goals in their last three games.
EX-UNITED STRIKER HERD DIES
Former Manchester United and Scotland striker David Herd has died at the age of 82, his old club announced yesterday.
Herd played a key role in United’s revival following the 1958 Munich air disaster and scored twice in their 3-1 win over Leicester in the 1963 FA Cup final.
He also helped United win the English league title in 1965 and 1967.
Herd, who previously played for Arsenal, scored 145 goals for United.