Huddersfield Town and Stoke City gained a share of the spoils in an entertaining Boxing Day clash at the John Smith's Stadium yesterday afternoon.
Tom Ince's first Premier League goal since February 2014 in the tenth minute was cancelled out by Ramadan Sobhi's second-half strike in an end-to-end game full of incident.
The Terriers somehow survived a crazy period when they made four goal-line clearances in quick succession while both side's had legitimate penalty claims turned away.
Have a look below at some of the best lines from across the media on the John Smith's Stadium encounter...
The Telegraph
On paper this may have appeared the proverbial six-pointer but in the end both teams settled for one, with Ramadan Sobhi restoring parity for Stoke after Tom Ince had put Huddersfield in command during the first half.
The Terriers head coach, David Wagner, was videoed by his wife over Christmas dancing around his Christmas Tree and for much of the first period his players danced around a stationary Stoke rear-guard.
Aaron Mooy was the catalyst, controlling midfield and sliding passes through and over the Potters...it was easy to also understand why they (Stoke) arrived in West Yorkshire with the worst defensive record in the Premier League.
The Sun
Never mind Christmas – Stoke fans were left celebrating Ramadan after their mini revival continued.
Egyptian substitute Ramadan Sobhi, a first half replacement for crocked Ryan Shawcross, stabbed in the close range leveller which gave the Potters an unbeaten festive period.
If it hadn’t been for Danish keeper Jonas Lossl they’d have been cheering another win as well to add to Saturday’s victory over West Brom.
Twice Lossl came up with stunning stops to keep out a Shawcross header, then push Max Choupo-Moting’s overhead against the post and grab it before it fully crossed the line.
That double bookended a Jonny Hogg block on Kurt Zouma’s strike, and another from Chris Lowe to stab Choupo’s backheel against the post in an astonishing four-chance sequence.
By then Huddersfield were already ahead, courtesy of Tom Ince’s first goal for the club at the 21st attempt following his summer arrival from Derby.
The Guardian
While there were few complaints from the crowd about the points being shared in a game that offered traditionally lively Boxing Day fare, both managers came up with one or two.
David Wagner felt his side’s indifferent finishing cost them a win their superiority deserved.
Mark Hughes, not for the first time, was unhappy about a couple of decisions that did not go Stoke’s way, a disallowed goal in the first half and a penalty that was not awarded in the second.
For the neutral, though, the entertainment was first-rate.
The Daily Mail
Stoke City's supporters – and their manager – were left hailing Ramadan at Christmas following this entertaining draw.
The visitors' Egyptian came off the bench to net a deserved 60th-minute equaliser and cancel out Tom Ince's first-half opener in an entertaining Boxing Day back-and-forth.
For long periods it looked as though the Potters were heading for a sixth defeat in eight until Ramadan Sobhi's intervention – his second goal in as many games.
With the novelty of the Premier League nowhere near evaporating, the John Smith's Stadium was once again noisy. Presumably, nobody had overdosed on mince pies and brandy in this raucous corner of West Yorkshire 24 hours previously.
The crowd are part of Wagner's plan, and his men fed off their energy.
Stoke Sentinel
If ever there was a case for awarding three points to both teams in a draw, or at least two apiece, then this was it.
Both played their part in a mini Christmas cracker deserving a more eye-catching scoreline and always threatening a late and dramatic punchline.
Stoke, playing a competitive game at Huddersfield for the first time since 2001 and a top flight game against them for the first time since New Year’s Day 1972, showed enough fighting spirit to suggest they still possess enough reserves to inch away from imminent danger.
Jack Butland was much the busier of the two goalkeepers, but Stoke more than played their part in a game deserving no loser.
FourFourTwo
Huddersfield led through Tom Ince's first goal for the club in the 10th minute, but Jonas Lossl's stunning save from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting amid an incredible first-half goal scramble may leave them happier to accept a second 1-1 draw in succession.
The Terriers will at least be satisfied to find themselves in the comfort of mid-table, with a demanding fixture at home to high-flying Burnley coming up this weekend.
