Manchester United stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to 10 matches with a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Thursday.
Robert Shawcross sent the home side ahead just two minutes into the contest, but Radamel Falcao's close-range finish levelled the scores after 26 minutes.
Both sides had half-chances in the second period, but neither could find a winner as the match ended level.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Premier League rivals.
Match statistics
STOKE
Shots: 6
On target: 2
Possession: 34%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 8
MAN UNITED
Shots: 6
On target: 2
Possession: 66%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 12
Was the result fair?
In truth, neither side really did enough to deserve all three points at the Britannia. Stoke hit the post in the second period and also had a strong penalty appeal dismissed, but United were in control of the possession for long spells and looked the side more likely to grab a winner with some late pressure. For long periods, it was an untidy match, with both teams guilty of conceding possession too easily in the final third of the field. It is not the worst result in the world for either side, but despite extending their unbeaten run, United have only won twice on the road this season - which will concern head coach Louis van Gaal.
Stoke's performance
The home side made the best possible start to the match, with Shawcross converting a Peter Crouch flick to take the lead after just two minutes. That further raised the atmosphere inside the stadium, but the Potters failed to build on their early advantage and allowed United back into the match. As expected, the majority of the home side's threat came from wide areas and set pieces, but they could not pick up the second balls that dropped inside the penalty area.
The Potters had the best chance of the second period, however, with Crouch flicking a header onto the post. Crouch was also the closest player to United defender Chris Smalling when the centre-back appeared to handle inside the box, but the referee was not interested. It was a penalty shout that certainly had some weight. Mark Hughes can take a number of positives from his side's performance, but they were a little untidy in possession, especially in the final third of the field.
Man United's performance
United would have spent the last couple of days speaking about the threat of Stoke from set pieces, but their marking was non-existent when the home side took the lead. In fairness, that improved throughout the match, but Van Gaal's side gave themselves a mountain to climb by conceding at such an early stage of the match. As has been the case all season, their back three did not look comfortable, with Jonny Evans in particular appearing shaky each time he was pressured in the final third.
Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney both struggled to influence the match in the final third of the field, but it was a positive afternoon for Falcao, who equalised with a brilliant finish. The Colombian was surprisingly taken off just past the hour, however, with Van Gaal seemingly protecting the striker from a number of heavy challenges. In truth, United did not create anywhere near enough to deserve to win the match, with Juan Mata also ineffectual. It is now 10 games unbeaten in the league, but Van Gaal must address their faltering away form if a top-four finish is going to be secured at the end of the campaign.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Ryan Shawcross: The centre-back netted against his old club with a clever finish just two minutes into the match, but it was his performance in defence that impressed the most. Van Persie in particular found it difficult to get the better of the Englishman, who was also calm and composed in possession. United could do with their former defender at the moment.
Biggest gaffe
This particular incident involved gaffes on both sides. First, United defender Evans allowed a long ball to bounce, before losing control and letting Diouf break into the box. The Stoke striker only had David de Gea to beat in a one-on-one, but leaned wide and fired past the post. It was poor from both players, with Evans in particular struggling throughout the 90 minutes.
Referee performance
As mentioned, Stoke will feel that they should have had a penalty when Smalling appeared to handle inside the box, but referee Michael Oliver was not interested. Aside from that, the official did not have much to do. There were a couple of flash points throughout the contest, but Oliver did not issue a single yellow card, which is incredible for a fixture at the Britannia.
What next?
Stoke: The Potters welcome Wrexham to the Britannia in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday, before travelling to Arsenal in the Premier League on January 11.
Man United: United are also in FA Cup action on Sunday as they make the trip to Yeovil Town. Their next Premier League match is at home to top-four rivals Southampton on January 11.
Matt Law
