Manchester United faced Stoke City at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, on the back of a convincing win against Hul City over the weekend. They had won their last 3 games, and were looking to make it 4 in a row.
United fans didn't welcome the news that captain Wayne Rooney, who has been in fine form, was excluded from the starting line up. As so, was Di Maria. Both had picked up injuries against Hull, but Rooney’s injury wasn't forecasted to keep him out of the midweek clash. Louis van Gaal confirmed that Rooney will have a scan to confirm the extent of the injury, but should make the Southampton match next weekend. Di Maria is a doubt for that match. James Wilson was brought in for Rooney, but apart from that the line up was unchanged from that which finished the match against Hul..
United started the match brightly. Their passing play was brilliant, as Juan Mata and Ander Herrera formed a formidable partnership together. At times, there were glimpses of Cruyff’s ‘Total Football’ as the likes of Fellaini, Carrick, Mata, Herrera, Wilson, and Van Persie were always interchanging positions, creating a fluid line of play. Young and Valencia were always overlapping from the wing-back position, and Young especially had a very good game, linking up with Herrera and Mata multiple times down the left.
United took the lead through a Herrera cross which came in from the left. Fellaini towered above everyone and met the cross with a powerful header which beat Begovic. United continued their dominance throughout the rest of the first half, all the way until just before the end. Stoke pulled things level late into the first half when Bojan made a powering run down the middle, only for the ball to get mixed up in between the three United defenders in front of him, only to fall sweetly for N’Zonzi who hit the ball with power, and it traveled straight to the left corner, leaving De Gea helpless.
United went out in the second half in the same matter which they ended the first. They found their breakthrough from a Juan Mata costless kick on the right. The Spaniard whipped it in, and there was a case that Rojo might have got his head on it, but it didn't matter, United had the lead again. Throughout the rest of the second half, United attacked again and again, and had multiple chances to extend their lead, but all the chances were futile. Stoke mounted an attempt to get level in the dying minutes of the game, and were only denied due to two brilliant saves from De Gea, as well as an off the line clearance from Young.
The win leaves United in 4th place, as they were last week. However, at least for the time being, it has brought them within a point of Southampton who play Arsenal on Wednesday evening, and two adrift og City who also play on Wednesday, against Sunderland. Their confidence is surely growing, and should they get a win - Southampton next weekend at St. Mary’s, then one can surely say that they are serious contenders for a comfortable top 4 finish.