Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match in the Premier League between Manchester United and Stoke City.

A couple of weeks ago, it was all doom and gloom at Old Trafford. United had lost three games in a row and there was added importance on the club not slipping up against Northampton Town in the EFL Cup. Jose Mourinho's men came through that before impressing against Leicester City and gaining a narrow win over Zorya Luhansk, and it's painted an entirely different picture in the North-West.

United are still a long way short of neighbours Manchester City in terms of performances and the league table but if they can come through this afternoon's encounter with Stoke having registered three points, they will have at least entered the international break with plenty of momentum ahead of a testing schedule upon their return to action in two weeks' time.

As for Stoke, they could not have envisaged such a dismal start to the campaign. Season upon season, they are making the kind of signings that should be moving the club up the standings but despite much optimism throughout the summer, they have been well below-par and head into this fixture with every chance of reaching the second international break without getting a league win on the board. Mark Hughes's players need to step up to the plate and there is no finer ground in the country than Old Trafford to put on your best performance to date.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings - let's bring you some team news.

MANCHESTER UNITED XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind, Herrera, Pogba, Martial, Mata, Rashford, Ibrahimovic

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBSTITUTES: Romero, Darmian, Carrick, Fellaini, Martial, Memphis, Rooney

STOKE CITY XI: Grant, Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Cameron, Whelan, Allen, Shaqiri, Bony, Arnautovic

STOKE CITY SUBSTITUTES: Given, Bardsley, Adam, Diouf, Walters, Crouch, Bojan

Having witnessed his team dismantle Leicester last weekend, it's a pretty easy decision for Mourinho to select an unchanged side from that match. That, of course, means that Wayne Rooney begins another game on the bench with Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford being preferred to the club skipper.

It's also an unchanged team for Stoke. Hughes has decided to keep faith with the team that started the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion and it was probably to be expected with the Potters only conceding to the Baggies in the closing stages. There's plenty of options on the bench, however, with no less than four attacking players waiting in the wings should they be required.

HEAD TO HEAD! This may come as a surprise but the head-to-head record between these two sides is not as one side as you would think.

From 104 meetings, United have won just the 43 games with Stoke claiming 28 victories. However, we should probably focus on the recent matches between the teams because since their promotion to the top flight in 2008, Stoke have just two wins and two draws to their name in 17 attempts.

With three more fixtures still to come later today, the Premier League table will inevitably change a few times but if United can win this match, they will - at least for the time being - move into third place in the standings.

As for Stoke, they will move off the bottom of the table with a point while a surprise victory would see them move outside of the relegation zone.

If you missed any of yesterday's action, don't worry - you can catch up with us before kickoff. Click here to read the match reports for the five fixtures from Saturday, as well as check out all of the results from throughout Europe.

We can't get through this build-up without mentioning the main man Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He's had a busy start to life at Old Trafford with the Swede playing a lot more regularly than some would have anticipated. That said, from his eight starts and two substitute appearances, he has netted six goals and that ratio will only likely improve as the season progresses.

PREDICTION! I think it goes without saying that we are backing a comfortable United win but by how many? We think there will be a repeat of last season's match with the home side running out 3-0 winners at Old Trafford.

Here come the two teams to a vibrant and expectant crowd at Old Trafford. It goes without saying that Stoke need a fast to this game.

United get us underway. It's sunny in the North-West - it's not every day you can say that.

SAVE! I'm not sure if this is an unbelievable save or an unbelievable miss but how Ibrahimovic hasn't scored I will never know. The 35-year-old had all the time in the world to slot the ball into the corner but he tried to deceive Grant and the veteran stopper has pulled off one of the saves of the season. Shocking defending from Stoke.

It's still all United but Stoke have started to settle now. Martins Indi tried to lob De Gea from all of 50 yards but he had no chance of beating the Spaniard from that distance, even with the sun in his eyes.

SHOT! Stoke are warming into this now. Moments after Bony just failed to make contact with a cross aimed towards the near post, Cameron forced a save out of De Gea from 30 yards.

BOOKING! That's a naughty one from Valencia and he's lucky not to be punished with more than a yellow card. He has just lunged in, two-footed, on Pieters on the touchline. He will have to watch his step from now on.

CHANCE! Stoke should be ahead! Allen and Shaqiri played a one-two down the right before Allen's cross missed its intended target of Bony and found Cameron on the edge of the box. Decent contact would probably have resulted in a goal but he scuffed his shot and De Gea was able to make the save.

CHANCE! Now United should be ahead! What a start to this game. A sublime move involving Ibrahimovic and Lingard ends with the young Englishman flicking the ball through to Pogba but despite having time and space, the world-record summer signing pulled his shot wide from 12 yards.

I wonder what Mark Hughes makes of this start? His side could have conceded a couple of goals but they may have taken the lead just before the quarter-hour mark. Defensively, you can see why they have struggled at the back but they don't look short of confidence going forward.

SAVE! That's an extraordinary effort from Mata. He tried to lob Grant from the edge of the area but Grant was equal to it as he tipped the ball over the crossbar.

CHANCE! From the resulting corner, Pogba was presented with a free header from around 10 yards out but he somehow sent it wide of the post. How is this game still goalless?

Mark Hughes will be fuming with Shaqiri. Stoke created a four-on-three opportunity and all the Swiss winger needed to do was pass to Arnautovic on the left and he was in. Instead, he attempted to take on his marker and was ultimately dispossessed.

SAVE! This is Grant's first-ever appearance at Old Trafford but so far, he's putting on a goalkeeping masterclass. United put together a fine move that ends with Lingard flicking the ball towards the bottom corner from close-range but somehow, Grant gets down to tip his effort wide.

Shawcross loses Ibrahimovic for the umpteenth time but on this occasion, it helps the centre-back as he makes a vital block to stop the forward's close-range volley from finding the back of the net.

Stoke win a corner after an Arnautovic cross is turned behind by Bailly but it comes to nothing as United clear easily. Moments earlier, Shawcross went down after being blocked off by Ibrahimovic. There didn't look a whole lot in it but the Swede needs to be careful.

It's getting to the stage where Stoke will be thinking about half time but they need to keep their focus for these remaining seven minutes. It's a potentially pivotal part of the game. If United score, you would expect them to win comfortably.

Shaqiri has just spent 20 seconds twisting, turning and auditioning for Strictly Come Dancing with Smalling in the corner and then after nut-megging the defender, he threw himself to the ground looking for a foul. What a waste.

There will be one minute of added-on time.

The half-time whistle goes at Old Trafford and Stoke have managed to reach the break still on level terms. They have been indebted to the performance of Lee Grant but they will need to improve defensively in order to get through this game without conceding.

It's time for the second half to get underway.

It's taken just 15 seconds for Bony to win a free kick around 30 yards from goal and Shaqiri and Arnautovic are all over this. Shaqiri's cross to the back post finds Martins Indi who forces a tremendous save out of De Gea but the offside flag is up.

United have responded to that opening for the visitors by putting together a couple of attacks but all that comes from them is a 35-yard half-volley from Herrera which goes miles wide of the post.

Whatever happens in the remainder of this game, it seems that Hughes is still getting enough out of his players to warrant him being given more time at the Britannia Stadium. They are second-best at Old Trafford but so far, they are holding their own against Mourinho's side.

BOOKING! Herrera is very, very lucky not to be sent off here. He's just gone in, studs-ups, down Allen's thigh but the referee has not deemed it serious foul play. Tough on Stoke, that.

CHANCE! From the resulting free kick, Shaqiri and Arnautovic combine to set up Allen inside the penalty area but after turning Smalling, he can't get any power on his shot from 12 yards and De Gea makes an easy save.

BOOKING! Ibrahimovic is the next man to go into the book for what could have been adjudged as an elbow on Shawcross. It wasn't enough to warrant anything more than a yellow but there are signs of frustration here from the home side.

SHOT! United put together their best move of the second half but it only produces a tame effort from Pogba, who shoots straight at Grant from 25 yards.

SHOT! Mata also needs no encouragement to try his luck from distance but even though Grant fumbles his well-struck effort, he was able to gather at the second attempt.

We are through an hour of this contest and it has reached a stage where there will be calls for Wayne Rooney to be introduced. It seems set up for the under-fire skipper to redeem himself...

Stoke are continuing to probe here and Shaqiri manages to win a corner after his attempted cut-back was blocked. However, the resulting corner is a shocker and doesn't beat the first man.

SHOT! United go up the other end of the pitch where Lingard sets up Herrera but his shot from distance just misses the bottom corner. Time for some substitutions...

SUBSTITUTIONS! Mourinho has acted first and replaced Mata and Lingard with Rooney and Martial.

SHOT! Ibrahimovic has been quiet in this second half but he almost finds the back of the net with a thunderous shot along the ground. The ball goes inches wide of the post but I think Grant was beaten there.

United finally made the breakthrough and it's a Martial stunner that has put them into the lead. Cameron did well to dispossess Rooney inside the penalty area but the ball fell straight to the Frenchman, who curled the ball into the top corner from the far side of the area.

Stoke are all at sea at the back now and it only seems a matter of time before United score again. The Potters backline have just had to make three last-ditch blocks to keep the score at 1-0.

SAVE! Grant really has been exceptional in this game and he pulls off another stop to deny Ibrahimovic, who made great contact with a volley at the back post.

SUBSTITUTIONS! Two changes for Stoke with Arnautovic and Bony being withdrawn and Crouch and Walters being introduced.

The tempo of this game has subsided now and that's going to suit United. I'm not sure how much Stoke have got left after putting so much effort into the opening hour of this game.

After Shawcross upended Martial on the edge of the area, Rooney had the chance to test Grant but his inswinging delivery lacked pace and was too close to the goalkeeper.

Wowzers! Stoke have equalised at Old Trafford and it's a goalkeeping error from De Gea. A deflected shot from Johnson was spilled by the goalkeeper and after Walters had struck the ball with the rebound, Allen was on hand to rifle in from two yards.

SUBSTITUTION! Mourinho wastes little time in making his final change as Depay replaces Herrera.

SHOT! As you can imagine, United are throwing numbers forward and Ibrahimovic is granted with another chance to get a shot away. It's a decent effort but Grant is able to punch clear.

WOODWORK! Pogba hits the bar! He has to score from there. A brilliant cross from Rashford finds the midfielder around six yards out but his header cannons off the crossbar and goes clear.

There will be four minutes of added-on time.

United win two corners in succession but the second ends with Pogba committing the foul.

Stoke have put Crouch in defence for these final few minutes. They have one minute to hold out.

The full-time whistle goes at Old Trafford and Stoke have held on to secure an impressive 1-1 draw! United would have been good value for the win but Stoke will argue that they had their own moments and deserved to leave the North-West with a share of the spoils.

That will be all from Sports Mole for this game but we hope that you can stick around for the remainder of our Premier League coverage this afternoon. Goodbye for now.