Stoke City 2-2 Manchester United; Mkhitaryan should only play centrally and other talking points

#4. Darren Fletcher and Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting are a testament to Stoke's sensible approach in this transfer market

Two of Stoke's impressive new players share a quick celebratory jig

Stoke City have spent the past few windows spending large sums of money gets various shades of over-the-hill, forgotten, slightly-mad, or promising playmakers - and Giannelli Imbula - but this season has seen them go down the bargain route, and it may just prove a wise move.

This year they got Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting and Darren Fletcher on free transfers from Schalke 04 and West Bromwich Albion respectively while they also landed Kurt Zouma and I-have-a-point-to-prove Jese Rodriguez on loan deals from Chelsea and PSG respectively.

Zouma has added pace and power to the backline and showed it off well today - his defensive organisation and discipline along with that of another new arrival Kevin Wimmer's was integral in Stoke pulling off the high-line they played for large parts of the game.

Jese has added guile and slick movement up top - opening spaces that previously never seemed to exist when the Potters move forward - and although he was unlucky not to score (unlucky that the Goalkeeper he faced was David De Gea)

But the stars of the show today were Fletcher and Chupo-Moting. While the Scotsman patrolled central midfield with calm authority, making important defensive interceptions before moving forward to make critical offensive passes; the Cameroonian was in scintillating form running United's back line ragged - his pace, movement, and directness causing all sorts of problems - just like it had for Arsenal in the second week.

These new arrivals have lent an air of substance to a Stoke City side that sometimes forgets about it - the Potters should be in for a good season this time around.