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STOKE-ON-TRENT: Manchester United’s English striker Marcus Rashford takes a shot which was saved during the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Manchester United at the Bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, cen- tral England yesterday. — AFP Man United held as Choupo-Moting fires Stoke

season and Stoke became the first opponents to collected by the darting Jese Rodriguez. ers with Darren Fletcher angling a pass to the right onside by Erik Pieters. Butland made a smart save deny them victory. A draw was enough to keep He found himself in the clear but had to shoot and Mame Diouf delivering a dangerous cross for from the Belgian’s initial shot but could not stop Stoke 2 United on top of the table, ahead of Manchester from a tight angle and fired past the far post. Choupo-Moting to sneak ahead of Bailly and tap him pouncing on the rebound to score. City on goal difference, but the careless nature of United took the sting out of Stoke’s early attacks home. But the lead lasted for just three minutes Stoke were denied an equaliser on 62 minutes the goals they conceded either side of half-time and had some promising possession of their own with United pulling level in first-half stoppage time. by a fabulous save from De Gea, who reacted bril- will be a concern for Mourinho. but they had a further scare in the 18th minute. Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s corner from the left was liantly to tip Jese’s header over the crossbar. But Man United 2 Stoke’s summer signing scored on 43 and 63 Xherdan Shaqiri hit a shot from distance for headed towards goal by Paul Pogba before striking from the resulting corner the hosts would not be minutes with Rashford equalising with a lucky, Stoke on 27 minutes and United goalkeeper David Rashford on the head and beating Butland. Stoke denied as Phil Jones lost his footing at the far post, involuntary header on the stroke of half-time De Gea did well not just to save it but hold onto the appealed for offside but replays proved their com- giving Choupo-Moting a free header that he buried STOKE-ON-TRENT: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting before Lukaku’s fourth goal in as many United ball. Butland made a smart save at the other end plaints were unfounded. from a Shaqiri corner. ended Manchester United’s perfect start to the appearances gave them a lead that lasted for just from Rashford with Lukaku flagged offside as he Early in the second half, Shaqiri twisted his way With nine minutes remaining, United missed a Premier League season as his first two goals for six minutes. chased the rebound. past two United defenders wide on the right but glorious chance to restore their lead as Lukaku met Stoke secured a 2-2 draw against Jose Mourinho’s Stoke threatened first as Choupo-Moting After a largely scrappy first half in which Stoke his angled cross drifted beyond the far post. And 12 a cross from substitute Anthony Martial but lifted side yesterday. Choupo-Moting gave Stoke the lead chased a chip over the United back four and Eric more than held their own, they claimed the lead minutes into the half United were ahead as Stoke his shot from six yards over the crossbar. And in before grabbing the crucial equaliser after Marcus Bailly had to race back to make an important chal- two minutes before the break. became architects of their own downfall. stoppage-time Butland pulled off an important Rashford and had put United lenge to concede a corner. And United looked slug- Joe Allen squandered possession to Matteo save to spare team-mate Kurt Zouma the embar- ahead. The Cameroon forward’s goals were the first gish again moments later as they failed to defend a UNFOUNDED Darmian, he found Mkhitaryan and the Armenian’s rassment of an own-goal after he got his head to a United had conceded in four league fixtures this punt down the middle by Jack Butland which was The goal was made by two former United play- fine pass picked out Lukaku, who was played United corner.— AFP Mane off as five-star City crush Liverpool Dortmund frustrated didn’t see the goalkeeper. “I hope people see it for suspected fractured jaw and cheekbone, but City’s what it is.” While Mane’s dismissal was a key factor in medical team found no serious damage. The added by 10-man Freiburg the game’s outcome, the emphatic nature of City’s time enabled City to swell their lead, De Bruyne cross- Man City 5 win suggests Guardiola’s second season as manager ing from the left for Jesus to head home moments BERLIN: Ten-man Freiburg halted Borussia BOATENG IS BACK will yield a serious title challenge. City are unbeaten in after a goal issuing from the same combination had Dortmund’s promising start to the season Kevin-Prince Boateng earned Eintracht 12 league games, their best run under Guardiola, been ruled out for offside.—AFP yesterday in a 0-0 draw and Frankfurt a hard-fought 1-0 win at Borussia while Argentina striker Aguero is now the outright also added to the team’s injury list. Moenchengladbach, but couldn’t finish Liverpool 0 leading non-European goal-scorer in English top- Dortmund defenders Marc Bartra and the game due to injury. flight history with 124 goals. Marcel Schmelzer went off in the first half Boateng fired home from close range and are doubtful for the Champions in the 13th minute for his first Bundesliga MANCHESTER: Liverpool’s Sadio Mane was dis- UNINTENTIONAL BUT RECKLESS League opener at Tottenham on goal since his return after spells at Milan missed for a challenge that saw goalkeeper Ederson It took City 24 minutes to unpick the visitors’ back Wednesday. Tim Kleindienst had the best and Las Palmas. He celebrated with a trib- stretchered off as Manchester City destroyed their four as ’s delicately weighted early chance for Freiburg but failed in a ute to Ajax midfielder Abdelhak Nouri, Premier League title rivals 5-0 yesterday. Brazilian through-ball freed Aguero to skip past Simon one-on-one with Dortmund goalkeeper who suffered severe brain damage after Ederson was carried off in a neck brace after being Mignolet and score for the sixth successive home Roman Buerki. Dortmund dominated pos- collapsing during a friendly match against caught in the face by Mane’s foot as he raced out to game against Liverpool. session afterward but lost Bartra and then Werder Bremen in July. “I don’t know him head the ball away late in the first half and the Guardiola had reverted to a 3-5-2 system and left- Schmelzer as the home side pulled no but the story really moved me,” Boateng Liverpool forward was shown a straight red card. sided centre-back Nicolas Otamendi immediately punches. said. The Ghana midfielder had to go off City already led 1-0 through Sergio Aguero’s open- looked vulnerable against Liverpool’s speedy right- French midfielder Yoric Ravet was sent early in the second half. He received treat- er at that point and braces from Gabriel Jesus and winger Mohamed Salah. Otamendi was booked for off on his Bundesliga debut for a cynical ment toward the end of the first after substitute Leroy Sane completed City’s biggest win clattering Salah in the sixth minute and after City’s challenge on Schmelzer after referee receiving a blow from Jannik over Liverpool since March 1937. opener, the Argentinian’s poor positioning allowed Benjamin Cortus consulted with his video Vestergaard’s elbow. “After 10 v 11 it was a little bit easier for us and we Mane to release Salah, only for Ederson to come to assistant. Cortus at first showed a yellow played the second half the way we wanted to,” said the rescue with a smart save. card but TV replays showed Ravet MORE INJURIES City manager Pep Guardola. “The game was open City continued to carry the greater threat and test- stamped on Schmelzer’s right ankle. Germany striker Mario Gomez injured until the sending-off. I don’t know if it was a red card.” ed Mignolet twice in quick succession, the Belgian Freiburg coach Christian Streich applaud- himself in Wolfsburg while going for goal With Liverpool having avoided defeat against their blocking a shot from Jesus, who had robbed Ragnar ed sarcastically, but Schmelzer was unable after missing the ball and colliding with top-six rivals last season, it was the first time Jurgen Klavan, and jutting out a foot to thwart John Stones to continue. He was replaced by new sign- Hannover goalkeeper Philipp Tschauner in Klopp’s side had lost to one of their principal adver- from the ensuing corner. ing Dan-Axel Zagadou. the teams’ 1-1 draw. saries since a 1-0 loss at home to Manchester United Two minutes later the game’s pivotal moment Down to 10 men, the hosts sat back, Wolfsburg’s Daniel Didavi scored with a in January 2016. occurred. Joel Matip’s lofted pass sent Mane scamper- stayed compact and defended with every free kick early in the second half, but It meant Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain had a deja vu ing clear and as Ederson rushed from his line to head man they had. Martin Harnik equalized by back-heeling debut after coming on at half-time for Liverpool, hav- the ball clear, the Senegal forward leapt and caught Dortmund is yet to concede a goal the ball through the legs of Wolfsburg ing succumbed to a 4-0 defeat against his new club him in the face with his outstretched right boot. It MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s English defender after three games but dropped points for ‘keeper Koen Casteels. Mainz came from on his last appearance for Arsenal before the interna- was unintentional but reckless and referee Jon Moss John Stones (R) vies with Liverpool’s Brazilian mid- the first time. “I’m disappointed,” behind to beat visiting Bayer Leverkusen tional break. “We had all we needed at 11 v 11,” immediately flashed a red card. Flattened by the colli- fielder Roberto Firmino during the English Premier Dortmund coach Peter Bosz said. “When 3-1, and Augsburg defeated Cologne 3-0 Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports. sion with Mane, Ederson spent eight minutes receiv- League football match between Manchester City you play for an hour with an extra man thanks to a hat trick from Iceland striker “But the decisive decision in the whole game was ing treatment on the pitch before Claudio Bravo and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, you have to win.” Alfred Finnbogason.—AP the red card. I don’t think it was a red card. Sadio came on in his place. Ederson underwent tests for a north west England, yesterday. —AFP