LONDON: Champions Manchester City suffered a stunning 1-0 home defeat to Stoke City on Saturday as their cast of attacking talents were blunted in a lifeless display that cost them their first dropped points of the season.

Mame Biram Diouf scored a superb individual goal to silence the City fans who have become used to seeing one-sided romps at their Etihad stadium, especially against the Premier League’s lesser lights.

Diouf received the ball on the edge of his own area and ran the length of the pitch before slotting a low shot between the legs of Joe Hart in the 58th minute to give Stoke manager Mark Hughes victory over his former club.

It was an equally miserable day for City’s rivals Manchester United whose frustrations continued in a 0-0 draw at promoted Burnley with British-record signing Angel Di Maria unable to spark an improvement in their fortunes.

Di Maria, signed from Real Madrid for 59.7 million pounds ($99 million) on Tuesday, showed flashes of his talent in a 70-minute debut, but United still looked short of attacking ideas, claiming only their second point from their opening three league games.

Having seen his team beaten by Swansea City and held by Sunderland before being humiliated 4-0 by third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup, new United manager Louis van Gaal has now gone four competitive games without recording a win.

“We were the stronger team, certainly in the second half,” van Gaal told BT Sport. “We created chances, but you have to score. That is where we have failed. The progress is there, but you have to win.

“A club like Manchester United has to win. We have two points from nine and that’s disappointing.”

Swansea’s excellent start to the season continued as they swept aside West Bromwich Albion 3-0 to move top of the fledgling table with a maximum nine points from their opening three games with Nathan Dyer scoring twice.

Dyer struck early for the hosts with a right-foot shot to the bottom left corner after being set up by Gylfi Sigurdsson in the second minute at the Liberty Stadium.

Wayne Routledge made it 2-0 in the 24th from outside the area and Dyer grabbed his second in the 71st with another assist from Sigurdsson.

Southampton came from behind to beat West Ham United 3-1, Crystal Palace, playing their first game under new manager Neil Warnock, scored through on-loan Wilfried Zaha in the fifth minute of stoppage time to grab a 3-3 draw at Newcastle United.

Elsewhere, a 45th-minute Charlie Austin goal saw Queens Park Rangers claim their first victory of the season in a 1-0 win over Sunderland.

Published in Dawn, August 31th, 2014