SKY GAME OF THE WEEK

STOKE CITY .......................... 0
MANCHESTER UNITED ........ 1


At the best of times Manchester United are the team everybody wants to beat but to start this season as champions has made sure that every other side in Division 1 will go that extra mile, have that extra yard in their pace, have that extra bit of determination in their dressing room to take the scalp of arguably the most famous name in world football. Last season they won the title by eight points but they know that to repeat that this season, they will have to try twice as hard.
Season 5 was their third title and they have yet to defend it successfully so, at least, they have experience. A start of defeat, win, defeat, win has left them in no doubt that the odds are against them doing it this time but they will have a quiet confidence that this could be their moment.
Stoke City have spent the last three seasons in the bottom half of the table, finishing in 16th place last season just four points clear of the relegation, a fate that they suffered in Season 1 before bouncing back up at the first attempt. An unbeaten start to Season 6 sees them lying in fifth place after the first four games. The visit of the champions to the Britannia Stadium was the talk of the city all week and now the time had arrived.
Almost 28,000 fans descended on the Britannia of which 2,800 were from Manchester (or everywhere but Manchester allegedly). The stadium can actually hold 28,384 but segregation reduces that capacity to less than 28,000. The singing was well under way with United's small contingent making themselves heard.
Stoke City's Phil Clark went for the standard 4-4-2 with Flip Sides mirroring that formation.

STOKE CITY: Begovic; Bardsley, Huth, Shawcross, Muniesa; Odemwingie, Giuliano, Ireland, Shea; Agudelo,Crouch

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Bender, Bonucci, Jones, Mangala; Isco, Moutinho, Hamsik, Kagawa; Martinez, Van Persie

The teams emerged to what seemed like a million decibels as the crowd cranked it up. Fans of the unbeaten Stoke side were looking up for the fight with the unbeaten start putting smiles on their faces while United fans still had that 'we are better' arrogance about them. Stoke City kicked off and we were underway. A cagey start seen United allowing Stoke to have possession in their own half but as soon as the home side tried to get a move going the United midfield were quick to snuff it out. The first chance of the game came in the fifth minute when Shea went down the left before playing the ball inside to Giuliano. The midfield ace instantly sent it forward to Crouch, who controlled it well before firing it towards goal. De Gea had to look smart to save at the second attempt, having to parry it first. The pace was pedestrian to say the least with neither side prepared to throw men forward. Stoke were keeping it tight at the back as United probed for an opening with Huth and Shawcross looking in control of the situation. On 11 minutes Stoke tried to come forward through Ireland but Moutinho went in with a strong challenge, a challenge that the referee deemed to be too strong and he produced the yellow for the United midfield man, stamping an early authority on the game and showing he was in no mood for any nonsense.

Stoke had the best of the first half

The game was starting to get bogged down in the midfield area with passes going astray and no one able to come with a defence splitting ball. Stoke were next to create a chance on 20 minutes when their main playmaker Giuliano carried the ball through midfield with United backing off. The Brazilian waited until the right moment before releasing a superb pass just in front of Agudelo that split the United defence. The striker used his pace and he was one to one with the keeper. With the Stoke fans rising from their seats in anticipation, Agudelo tried to roll the ball under the advancing De Gea, but the 6'4'' keeper spread himself well to block the shot and the ball went out for the corner. The corner came to nothing but it was a warning to United that Agudelo had the pace to cause them problems. The visitors were struggling to create anything with Stoke prepared to get every man behind the ball and hit on the counter. The tight marking was leaving them no room for manoeuvre and their was no doubt the Stoke tactics were working well. On 38 minutes there was a near disaster for the home side when Bonucci sent a long ball towards Van Persie in the Stoke box. Shawcross jumped highest but his header went towards his own net with Begovic having to make a superb reaction save to turn it over the bar. After all their stout defending, it would have been a travesty if Stoke had been undone by their own defender. Kagawa swung in the corner that Begovic claimed almost unchallenged. As the game approached half time there was a sense of disappointment around the ground at the lack of goalmouth action in the first 45 minutes. Shawcross's near own goal was the closest either side had came although Agudelo will feel he could have done a lot better in his one on one with De Gea. The referee brought the first half to anend with a shrill of his whistle and a mainly uneventful first half was brought to a close with Phil Clark no doubt the happier of the two managers.

Half Time:    STOKE CITY  0  MANCHESTER UNITED  0

The teams emerged for the second half and the crowd upped the volume once again, seemingly having forgotten the trudged first half. Neither manager had made any changes to their personnel or formation going by the way they lined up. United kicked off and immediately tried to get forward. A ball down the left hand side just failed to reach Kagawa but already United seemed to have a bit more determination in their play. A nice flick from Hamsik found Moutinho but as he tried to skip forward, Shawcross came in with a strong challenge  that merited a yellow and the referee duly obliged. Stoke were on the back foot and were forced into some desperate clearances as they tried to keep United at bay. On 54 minutes Moutinho, who was becoming more influential in this half, knocked a ball out to Kagawa on the left. The wide man collected the ball before turning inside, leaving Bardsley for dead before firing in a low strike that Begovic got down to and saved with his body. It was United's best move of the match so far as they started to crank up the pressure.

United cranked up the pressure

Two minutes later they came forward again, this time with Hamsik making ground on the inside right channel. The Slovakian knocked a high ball into the penalty area where Martinez used his strength to get in front of Huth and send a powerful header in that Begovic managed to parry down before diving on top of the ball to keep the goal intact. Stoke were wobbling as United pushed them further and further back. Phil Clark could see this from the bench and he reacted by making a change on the hour. Agudelo, who apart from the one chance in the first half, had been largely anonymous, was the man to come off and he was replaced by the Austrian midfielder/forward Arnautovic. The Austrian slotted into an attacking midfield position as Clark went 4-1-3-2. Odemwingie moved up front to partner Crouch after looking out of sorts in the wide right position. The substitution was well timed with the delay putting United out of their stride and relieving the pressure on the Stoke defence. It wasn't long though before United started getting on top again and a nice ball out of defence found Moutinho with the chance of a quick break, a break that was quickly halted with Odemwingie holding him back with a pull on the shirt. Free kick and a yellow for Odemwingie probably being the easiest decision of the game for the referee. What the Stoke striker was doing as far back as the halfway line was the most puzzling thing of all. The free kick was sent out to the right where Van Persie collected and he sent a cross towards the centre of the box where an advancing Hamsik got his head to it only to see it sail high over the crossbar. Stoke were hardly making an impression up front but they almost took the lead on 76 minutes when a high ball towards Arnautovic was knocked down well by the Austrian to Giuliano, who was allowed to stride forward into the box before unleashing a shot that De Gea had to quickly dive across and palm the ball to safety. It would have been against the run of play but it showed that Stoke still carried a threat. United came back at Stoke and on 79 minutes Hamsik played the ball through to Van Persie with the striker trying a clever flick that Begovic managed to get both hands on. United were starting to push Stoke back once more as they searched for the goal that would surely settle this match. With 8 minutes left to play Kagawa, on the left, showed superb vision when he seen Isco free across the pitch, and swept a tremendous ball across for him to run on to. Isco powered into the angle of the box before aiming a shot for the bottom corner. Begovic showed great reaction as he dived across to get a hand to it and turn it away for a corner. Kagawa took the corner and played it to Martinez who was lurking just outside the box but before he could turn a shot towards goal Shea upended him with a clumsy looking tackle. Shea suffered a yellow card for his trouble and United had a dangerous free kick just outside the box. Van Persie took the kick and found a gap in the wall with the impressive Begovic looking sharp and saving well. Stoke were under severe pressure but it was looking like the defence may just hold out. With four minutes to go Bardsley went in on Kagawa, conceding another free kick about 5 yards outside the area. Van Persie and Isco stood round the ball conversing as to what to do with it. Movement in the box suggested a chip into the danger area but VAN PERSIE stepped up and fired the ball low under the wall and although Begovic, seeing it late, got a touch to it, he couldn't prevent it from going into the net.

Van Persie turns away after scoring(above) before being smothered by team mates(below)

The near 3,000 United fans erupted and celebrated the late goal while Van Persie was smothered by the United players in delight. Stoke look gutted with their fans giving a look of resignation. To lose a goal just 4 minutes from time was a sickener but it was credit to United's refusal to give up and settle for a point. Stoke kicked off but their body language showed how gutted they were. United fell back seemingly content to hold out and with Stoke looking devoid of ideas the final whistle soon sounded and United had won with the late Van Persie free kick.

A depressed  looking Phil Clark shook hands with a buoyant Flip Sides as the teams headed for the tunnel and Manchester United had won their third game of the season while Stoke had tasted defeat for the first time.

Overall United deserved their victory for their second half performance. The first half had been poor but whatever Flip Sides had said in the dressing room transformed them and they looked a lot more lively after the break. Manchester United climb to sixth in the table with nine points and they now travel to Norwich on Monday night for an English Shield 3rd Round tie before entertaining Newcastle in the league on Wednesday.

Stoke will have to put this disappointment behind them and try and bounce back straight away. Phil Clark's job will be to make sure that the manner of defeat doesn't affect their appetite for the game and get them up for the next game that sees them travel to a struggling Liverpool side on Wednesday.

Fannie Licker @ The Brittania Stadium, Stoke