Late David de Gea heroics help Man United to see off Stoke City

Juan Mata and Marcos Rojo both claimed the winner as
Manchester United survived a nerve-jangling finish to beat
Stoke 2-1 at Old Trafford.
Mata was credited with the decisive strike after his 59th-
minute cross from a free-kick looked to bounce straight in --
although Rojo celebrated as though he had got a touch.
There was drama in injury time as David de Gea produced
two brilliant saves to deny Mame Biram Diouf and Marko
Arnautovic, before Ashley Young cleared off the line from
Diouf.
Those heroics secured a fourth successive Premier League
win for United, who were without captain Wayne Rooney
-- but only by the skin of their teeth.
Marouane Fellaini headed the hosts ahead midway through
the first half, but Steven Nzonzi equalised with a superb strike
before the break.
Fellaini was also involved in a moment of controversy in the
build-up to the 39th-minute Stoke leveller when he appeared
to claim that he was kicked in the neck by Oussama Assaidi.
The Belgian, who also spurned a good chance soon
afterwards, was still holding his neck at half-time but replays
suggested Assaidi had made no contact in that area.
Rooney was still feeling the effects of banging his knee on an
advertising hoarding at the weekend, while United were also
without record signing Angel Di Maria.
That gave youngster James Wilson the chance to play up front
alongside Robin van Persie, and Ander Herrera also started
-- but the hosts were subdued in the early stages.
It was not until they were gifted an opportunity after 17
minutes that they came to life, as Stoke goalkeeper Begovic
passed to Van Persie.
The Dutchman powered into the box and pulled back to
Herrera, but the Spaniard shot over.
Herrera quickly made amends for that miss as, four minutes
later, he collected a pass from Mata and lofted a dangerous
cross to Fellaini at the back post.
Erik Pieters failed to pick up the Belgian, who timed his leap
superbly to head past the helpless Begovic.
United also had a good appeal for a penalty turned down as
Wilson appeared to be kicked by Geoff Cameron, but referee
Jon Moss gave nothing.
Stoke tried to respond and Pieters whipped in a good ball
from the left, looking for Stephen Ireland or Bojan Krkic,
but Rojo intervened.
It was clear that Stoke were not prepared to surrender in the
manner Hull did at the same ground on Saturday, and they
pulled back level before half-time.
Fellaini went down clutching his neck as Assaidi won a 50-50
ball, but Moss saw nothing untoward and both sides played on.
Bojan ran at the heart of the United defence and was
crowded out as he reached the edge of the area, but United
failed to clear and the ball ran into the path of Nzonzi, who
lashed home a fierce shot from just inside the 'D'.
Fellaini continued to hold his neck, but it did not seem to be
affecting him just before half-time as he went close to restoring
United's lead.
The home side won a free-kick outside the box on the right
and a shot from Van Persie took a deflection and found its
way to the Belgian in front of goal. This time, he scuffed a
shot and Begovic saved at the second attempt.
Stoke, who lost Steve Sidwell and Glenn Whelan to injury
at the weekend, had another scare early in the second half
when Pieters needed lengthy treatment after a clash with Van
Persie.
That incident occurred during a scrappy spell, but United
reclaimed the lead just before hour as Mata floated in a free-
kick from the right. The ball appeared to dip over everyone in
the area and bounce in at the far post, although Rojo claimed
a touch.
Wilson, the 19-year-old who scored twice on his debut last
season, almost scored a third for United after a good run from
just inside the Stoke half, but he clipped his shot just wide.
Wilson made another charge but was crudely hacked down by
Ireland, who was booked, and a further good break led to a
chance for Fellaini, who blasted wide.
United were almost made to pay for those misses in a
breathless four minutes of injury time.
But De Gea, who had had a quiet game, remained alert to
the last as he kept out a Diouf header and a powerful
Arnautovic strike. The latter seemed to no avail as the ball
rolled to Diouf, but Young dramatically hacked clear.