Manchester United 2-1 Stoke City: This is what happened
Manchester United beat Stoke City 2-1 at Old Trafford to secure their fourth consecutive Premier League victory.
But they were made to sweat for it as Mame Biram Diouf, a former Red Devil, saw two efforts cleared away on the line in stoppage time.
Juan Mata's second-half free-kick evaded everybody and flew into the corner to help the hosts earn the spoils after Steven N'Zonzi had cancelled out Marouane Fellaini's header at Old Trafford.
United headed into the game brimming with confidence having risen to fourth in the table, despite a sluggish start to life under Louis van Gaal.
And some fine early play was rewarded when Fellaini headed home a 21st-minute opener from Ander Herrera's cross.
Stoke responded well and found a way back into the game thanks to a stunning strike from Steven N'Zonzi six minutes before half-time.
However, United regrouped upon the restart and grabbed a deserved victory thanks to Mata's intervention - albeit after surviving some scares as Diouf twice almost thwarted his former club.
The hosts seemed determined to establish a passing rhythm in the early exchanges, knocking the ball around with confidence, though a staunch Stoke backline was giving nothing away.
A golden opportunity went begging in the 16th minute as Herrera, selected as one of two injury-enforced changes due to problems sustained by Angel Di Maria and Wayne Rooney versus Hull City on Saturday, fluffed his lines.
Robin van Persie was the architect, intercepting Asmir Begovic's ill-judged pass and squaring to the Spaniard - who somehow side-footed over.
Yet Herrera helped atone for his error as United took the lead, sending a superb cross to the back post forFellaini to power a header past Begovic.
United's combination of crisp passing and high-intensity pressing continued to cause problems for the visitors, but they found an equaliser against the run of play.
Fellaini coughed up possession in midfield before complaining of neck pains as Bojan Krkic surged clear andN'Zonzi rocketed home from the edge of the area after the Spaniard's progress was halted.
Mark Hughes' men were again proving a tough nut to crack after the interval, but a deserved United second came when Mata's delivery missed the head of Marcos Rojo, who claimed the goal, on its way to the net.
Bojan curled a free-kick wide of David de Gea's post before James Wilson - handed a first start of the campaign - curled wide having powered into the box in between two Stoke defenders.
United were nearly made to rue that miss as Stoke spurned two glorious opportunities to level.
De Gea kept out the first one, showing stunning reactions to away Diouf's far-post header in the third minute of stoppage time.
And Ashley Young denied the Senegal striker moments later, blocking his effort on the line after De Gea had saved Marko Arnautovic's strike from point-blank range to preserve three points which strengthen United's charge into Champions League contention
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