LONDON: Wayne Rooney has scored his 250th goal for Manchester United to beat Sir Bobby Charlton’s club record and, in doing so, rescued a 1-1 draw at Stoke in the closing minutes.

A fortnight on from his early effort in the FA Cup win over Reading, which put him alongside Charlton at the top of the list on 249 United goals, Rooney became the sole record-holder by netting a stoppage-time free-kick against the Potters.

The 31-year-old United and England skipper had already surpassed Charlton as his country’s all-time top scorer in 2015.

Charlton was on hand to watch Rooney reach his milestone as he curled his 250th United goal into the top corner of the net after Joe Allen was penalised for a foul on Marcus Rashford.

Rooney’s effort extended his side’s unbeaten run to 17 games after Stoke looked set to take all three points through an own goal from Juan Mata in the 19th minute.

Mata missed a glorious chance to equalise and substitute Jesse Lingard hit the bar eight minutes from time before Rooney summoned up his timely and historic intervention.

Neighbours Manchester City were also held, in their case 2-2 at home to Tottenham who recovered from being two goals down.

Blunders by Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris gifted dominant City a two-goal lead through Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne before Dele Alli pulled one back for the visitors.

After Raheem Sterling was denied what seemed an obvious penalty, substitute Son Heung-min grabbed a point for Spurs in the 77th minute.

In the lunchtime kick-off, Jurgen Klopp watched Liverpool’s title hopes suffer a serious setback as relegation-threatened Swansea claimed a stunning 3-2 win at Anfield.

Fernando Llorente fired the Swans – without a win in 15 previous league visits – in front with two goals in the first seven minutes of the second half before a Roberto Firmino brace dragged the hosts back level.

But just as the momentum seemed to have shifted, Swansea seized the points in the 74th minute when Gylfi Sigurdsson fired home to seal his side’s second consecutive away win and lift them off the foot of the table.

Swansea’s success contributed to another bleak afternoon for David Moyes and Sunderland, who slumped back to the bottom after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to West Brom at The Hawthorns.

Darren Fletcher’s 20th-minute opener and a powerful left-foot drive from Chris Brunt nine minutes before the break were enough to sink the miserable Black Cats, who barely threatened Ben Foster’s goal.

And the problems continue to mount for Sam Allardyce, who is still looking for his first win as Crystal Palace boss after a late Seamus Coleman strike earned Everton 1-0 win at Selhurst Park and sunk the Eagles into the bottom three.

Scott Dann had two firm headers well saved by Everton keeper Joel Robles before Coleman fired home eight minutes from time, despite Palace protests that the game should have been stopped to allow Jeffrey Schlupp to receive treatment.

Middlesbrough continue to slip closer to the drop zone after two early goals from the in-form Andy Carroll paved the way for West Ham to clinch a 3-1 win at the Riverside Stadium.

Carroll’s first-half strikes sandwiched an equaliser from Boro striker Cristhian Stuani but the Hammers piled on the pressure, with Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini both missing chances.

Stuani hit the bar in the second half before the visitors wrapped up the points when Lanzini fed substitute Jonathan Calleri to hit a deflected shot into the top corner.

Bournemouth twice hit back from behind to grab a 2-2 draw against Watford at the Vitality Stadium.

Christian Kabasele’s early opener was cancelled out by Josh King and despite Troy Deeney’s 64th-minute effort putting Watford back in front, substitute Benik Afobe equalised again eight minutes from time.

############