De Gea sails through test of character

MANCHESTER UNITED may have surrendered their perfect start to the season at the Britannia Stadium but the positives to be gleaned from a full-blooded 1-1 draw could well outweigh the negatives when it comes to the development of young goalkeeper David de Gea.

The spotlight was placed firmly on the 20-year-old Spaniard for the visit to Stoke, by general consensus one of the most effective set-piece teams in the Premier League.

After all, after high-profile errors earlier in the season against Manchester City and West Brom, De Gea would surely find himself targeted by the home side and, in particular, the long throw-ins of Rory Delap.