Manchester United vs. Stoke: 5 Takeaways from United's Win Against Stoke City

Manchester United are tied on points with Manchester City at the top of the Barclays Premier League table after a commanding 2-0 win over Stoke City at Old Trafford.

Penalties from Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov were enough to see off the opposition, and the scoreline arguably flattered Stoke as United dominated possession and should have scored more.

While United strolled to victory over Stoke, Darron Gibson gave his former club a valuable gift, scoring the winner for Everton against Manchester City. Those two results means only goal difference separates the two Manchester clubs in an enthralling title race.

These five takeaways from the win over Stoke City should boost the morale of the United faithful ahead of a key fixture against Chelsea on Sunday, with the team showing that they are beginning to find top gear.

Paul Scholes Was the Missing Piece

The midfield has been a serious concern for Manchester United since Tom Cleverley was sidelined early in the season with injury, but Sir Alex Ferguson has found the answer to this dilemma with the return of Paul Scholes.

It was yet another masterclass performance from Scholes against Stoke City.

United dominated the game with 75 percent possession as Scholes and Michael Carrick bossed the midfield. Stoke rarely had a chance to threaten Ben Amos as the United midfield refused to give up the ball.

Along with maintaining possession, Scholes also played a key role in the first goal. He played a brilliant pass to put Park Ji-Sung in on goal, forcing Stoke to concede the penalty.

The partnership of Carrick and Scholes has impressed in recent weeks, with United finally asserting their dominance in midfield. In the first half of the season, United were losing games in midfield. Now United are winning their games in midfield. That is the impact Scholes has on this squad, and it was seen once again against Stoke.

At the age of 37 and having already retired once, Scholes is obviously a short-term fix for United’s midfield dilemma, but he still has the ability to contribute significantly this season as the club pursue yet another Premier League title.

The return of Scholes may well be the difference between United successfully defending their title and coming up just short in the race.

Sir Alex Ferguson Is a Miracle Worker

Any other club would have collapsed with the injury crisis that Manchester United has suffered, but Sir Alex Ferguson has been a miracle worker.

Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young, Nani, Phil Jones, David de Gea and Anders Lindegaard all picked up minor injuries which left them unavailable against Stoke City. Long-term injuries continued to haunt United as well with Nemanja Vidic out for the remainder of the season and Tom Cleverley still recovering from an injury he suffered in October against Everton.

As strong as United looked against Stoke City, it was easy to forget the injury crisis they currently suffer from.

Most clubs would struggle to get results with so many key players sidelined with injury, but Sir Alex kept his squad competitive and erased the three-point gap between United and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

Sir Alex is undeniably one of the all-time greatest managers, but his ability to cope with injuries and maintain success in the face of adversity show just how immense he is. With his most valuable players stuck in the treatment room, Sir Alex adapted his tactics to compensate for the losses and kept his players motivated against the odds.

It is hard to imagine United still being in the title race under these circumstances with any other manager.

Sir Alex managed his squad brilliantly as the injuries piled up, and although United was knocked out of the FA Cup with a depleted side, they have kept pace for the grand prize—a 20th Premier League title.

Paul Pogba Is Ready for More

As one promising young midfielder—Ravel Morrison—departed from Old Trafford, another was making the most of his opportunity in the first team.

Paul Pogba made his Premier League debut against Stoke City, and not once did he look out of place during his 18 minutes on the pitch.

With three points already essentially secured, Pogba came on to replace Javier Hernandez in the 73rd minute. As the tempo of the game began to fade with United coasting to victory, Pogba injected energy into the team and was exhilarating in the attack.

The 18-year-old midfielder appeared confident with the ball at his feet, passed with belief and was unfortunate not to get himself a debut goal, with his attempt blocked by Andy Wilkinson.

It is hard to judge a player based on a second-half substitute appearance, but if his performance against Stoke was any sort of indication, Pogba is ready for more opportunities at United.

Much has been made of Pogba’s future at Old Trafford with six months remaining on his current deal, but a few more appearances in the first team may entice him to put pen to paper on a new contract.

Antonio Valencia Is United's Most Important Player

Wayne Rooney gets all the attention as the superstar at Manchester United, but Antonio Valencia is the most valuable player in the squad at the moment.

Valencia wreaked havoc on the Stoke City defense and earned United’s second penalty after being pulled down by Jon Walters during a promising run into the Stoke 18-yard box.

For the past two months, Valencia has terrorized the left-backs of the Premier League. He has been the most consistent performer in the United squad, contributing eight assists and two goals in his last nine appearances.

Despite his predictability on the right wing, Valencia continues to be a constant threat in the United attack. Left-backs must know by now what Valencia is going to do almost every time he receives the ball on the wing, but despite this, his combination of pace, strength and crossing ability make him a near unstoppable force.

While Nani and Ashley Young started the season as Sir Alex Ferguson’s first-choice wingers, as both prepare to return from injury, one of the two will be relegated to bench with Valencia virtually undroppable now.

With Ashley Cole being sent off against Swansea City on Tuesday and consequently suspended for Chelsea’s match against United on Sunday, Valencia should easily continue his incredible run of form on the right wing. Another man of the match performance may be on the cards.

Jonny Evans Deserves More Praise

Jonny Evans had yet another assured performance in defense as Manchester United kept a clean sheet against Stoke City.

Defending against Peter Crouch and Kenwyne Jones, especially in the air, is a daunting task, but Evans rose to the occasion. Alongside Rio Ferdinand in the heart of the defense, Evans dominated in the air, leaving Crouch and Jones silenced all night.

Ben Amos, making his Premier League debut, owes Evans a big thank you for allowing him to have a relatively quiet night in goal. Although Stoke had limited attacking opportunities, Evans nullified all the threats he did encounter.

While Stoke sat deep to defend, Evans had the freedom to get over forward in attack, and impressed in that half of the pitch as well. On one occasion he provided a superb pass to Javier Hernandez, who failed to convert the opportunity.

With Nemanja Vidic ruled out for the remainder of the season, Jonny Evans has often been called upon to deputize for the captain. His performances have been very solid, and with each game he seems to develop even more confidence.

Losing a player of Vidic’s quality and experience would be a blow for any squad, but Evans has stepped up admirably and become a key performer in the United defense. His performance against Stoke is just one more example of how important he is.