ANTHONY MARTIAL lifted the gloom with a stunning strike as Louis van Gaal’s side finally turned on the style.
OPENER: Lingard scored United's first
Pep Guardiola’s impending arrival at Manchester City has raised the stakes across town, with United knowing they can’t afford to get left behind by their mega-rich neighbours.
And after just two wins in their last 10 Premier League games Van Gaal has been battling to save his So he must have been purring at United’s first-half performance as his side finally clicked.
The fans who had booed Van Gaal following a 1-0 defeat to Southampton here 10 days earlier might have feared the worst.
But goals from Jesse Lingard and Martial’s masterpiece inside the first 23 minutes – with Wayne Rooney netting a third after the break – helped erase the memory.
United started like they meant business as Rooney and Juan Mata both had early chances.
They finally went ahead in the 13-minute when Cameron Borthwick-Jackson crossed for Lingard to head home.
Martial fired an effort into the side netting then forced Jack Butland into a routine save.
But they were just sighters for the young Frenchman, who doubled United’s lead with a brilliant effort.
United rolled back the years to the kind of football seen under Sir Alex Ferguson as they launched a lightning break – which ended with Rooney setting up Martial to curl in a right-footed beauty.
GOAL: Wayne Rooney
Stoke, unable to use record £15.1m buy Giannelli Imbula after his late signing on Monday, couldn’t handle Mata as he ran the show in midfield.
Jon Walters did go close for the visitors as he volleyed over before the break.
But Stoke had no answer to a classy United performance, which included the customary goal from Rooney after the break.
The captain had an effort chalked off as he barged over Phil Bardsley in the build-up.
But moments later Rooney tapped in a Martial cross after another flowing move as United made a long overdue statement of intent.
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