Paul Pogba shines as Manchester United sweep Stoke City aside to show size of Paul Lambert's task ahead

Manchester United 3 Stoke City 0: The visitors had their moments, particularly in the first half, but Jose Mourinho's team put on a clinical display in front of goal and romped home 

Mark Critchley
Old Trafford
Monday 15 January 2018 22:32 GMT
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Manchester United celebrate Anthony Martial's well-struck finish
Manchester United celebrate Anthony Martial's well-struck finish

Manchester United took advantage of Manchester City’s first league defeat of the season on Monday night by beating a struggling Stoke City side and cutting their neighbours’ lead down to 12 points. It is a start, at least.

United ended an unwelcome spell of league draws at Old Trafford with goals from Antonio Valencia, Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku, though their visitors, who had manager-in-waiting Paul Lambert watching from the stands, threatened at times with chances of their own.

Lambert, whose tenure in the Potteries will commence on Tuesday, will have seen some promise in Stoke’s performance, but their few moments of inspiration were not enough to trouble Jose Mourinho’s efficient hosts.

It always seemed as though this would be a relatively straightforward evening’s work for United when Valencia, making his first start in six games after recovering from a hamstring injury, scored his third league goal of the season.

The right wing-back has not earned a reputation for two-footedness during his nine-year long stay at United, and that is perhaps why Josh Tymon was happy to show the Ecuadorian inside from the right flank. Not Tymon nor anyone else in Old Trafford expected the sweeping left-footed strike that followed.

A goal up after just nine minutes, the foundations were set for a comfortable home victory against a team with the Premier League’s joint-worst away record. It was Stoke, though, who had the best opportunities during the remainder of the first half and they may have levelled or even led had the majority not fallen to Stephen Ireland.

The former Manchester City midfielder was handed his first Premier League start in 966 days by caretaker manager Eddie Niedzwiecki but looked predictably off the pace, dragging two tame attempts wide of goal in quick succession.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting almost made up for Ireland’s wastefulness a few minutes later when uncharacteristic lapse by David de Gea presented Stoke with their third decent opportunity of the opening half hour but, with his back to the ball, Phil Jones spared his goalkeeper’s blushes, blocking Choupo-Moting’s acrobatic effort at an open goal.

The visitors were growing in confidence and Lambert would have liked what he had seen, but their resurgence was stamped out by Martial as the first half drew to a close.

Antonio Valencia fired United in front

Again, it was a pinpoint, sweeping effort from range that beat Jack Butland, again it was Pogba with the assist, who found his compatriot in acres of room on the edge of penalty area. Martial did the rest and United had a two-goal cushion. Would they finally begin to look comfortable?

Not just yet. With the last kick of the half, Xherdan Shaqiri, consistently the visitors’ most threatening player by some distance, warned United against complacency with a cute shimmy into their penalty area and a low effort that sent De Gea sprawling. Stoke were still in this.

The travelling contingent from the Potteries certainly felt their side had something to offer and despite the lukewarm reception to their new manager’s appointment earlier in the day, the away end opened the second half in good humour, happily describing themselves as ‘Paul Lambert’s Barmy Army’.

Their players struggled to fashion the same opportunities they had found in the opening 45 minutes though, as United, through the irrepressible Pogba, gradually began to assume total control. Martial and Juan Mata both went close to adding the third, with the Spaniard seeing one tap-in correctly ruled out for offside. When it eventually came, it was a fine goal and a deserved one for Lukaku.

The Belgian had lead the line well up until the 72nd minute but still had nothing to show for his efforts until he collected the ball inside the penalty area from Martial’s cross. Lukaku had Kevin Wimmer for company, but in an excellent show of strength, with his back to goal, he held the substitute at bay long enough to create space for a shot, poking the ball around his body and past Butland.

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