Manchester United vs. Stoke: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Manchester United didn't take long to strike against Stoke City on Tuesday, finding the net in the first 15 minutes of the game before properly burying the away side from there, winning 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney each scored in one of United's most well-rounded performances of the season. The Red Devils completely bossed the match—though the the stats don't quite tell the whole story—as they outshot Stoke 15-10 (5-0 on goal) and held 47 percent of possession, per WhoScored.com.

Phil McNulty of BBC Sport was left impressed by the showing:   

The Telegraph also had high praise for United:

It was dominant football, but it was lovely football as well, as all three goals were true beauties.

Lingard struck first. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson sent a low cross to the far post, where Lingard slipped behind the defense and got his head onto the bouncing ball, beating Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland. 

It was a huge goal for the home side, as Lingard became the first Manchester United player to score a first-half goal at Old Trafford in Premier League action since September, per WhoScored.com.

Nine minutes later, United struck on the counter. Juan Mata took out two defenders with a slick pass to Wayne Rooney rushing down the right side, and the veteran forward spotted Martial in plenty of space down the left at the edge of the box. Martial did the rest, curling a scintillating shot past a helpless Butland to double United's lead.

Rooney would put the game away for good in the 53rd minute. Again, United carved apart Stoke on the counter, as this time Mata played an incisive through ball to Martial down the left flank. The 20-year-old sent a low cross toward the far post with his first touch, finding Rooney, who merely had to tap the ball into an empty net.

It was Rooney's 99th Premier League goal at Old Trafford, per OptaJoe, and his seventh goal in his last seven appearances for the club, per WhoScored.com.

But it was also a huge win for United, who find themselves in a battle for a European place next season and had taken just four points in their last three matches. The win edged them two points closer to fourth-place Arsenal, which dropped two spots on the table after a scoreless draw against Southampton on Tuesday.

Stoke City, meanwhile, remain just inside the top 10 of the table and safely out of danger of the relegation zone, though also likely well out of contention for any berth in European football. The Potters certainly didn't look like a club capable of competing with the big boys down the stretch on Tuesday.

Post-Match Reaction

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

After the match, the United players were certainly pleased with their showing.

"Everyone's over the moon," Lingard told MUTV, per the team's Twitter account. "As soon as the first goal went in we knew we'd get more."

Goalkeeper David De Gea added, "It's one of our best games this season—we need to stay at this level."

Manager Louis van Gaal was certainly thrilled with the team's level on Tuesday.

“I am a very happy coach because I have seen fantastic goals, team goals, where we are building up from the back and finishing like that, and also controlling the game in the second half," he told the BBC, via Nicholas Mendola of NBC Sports. "Michael Carrick said to me after the match that it is so different when you score the early goal.”

He praised one goal in particular.

"

Louis van Gaal to #MUTV on Martial's fine strike: "I always like team goals and the finish was fantastic!" #mufc pic.twitter.com/Gy8mCe0sXQ

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 2, 2016"

Stoke manager Mark Hughes was left singing a different tune.

"We didn't start in the right manner," he told McNulty. "We conceded early on, were too passive and for the first goal we didn't get close enough to people. Avoiding going 1-0 down early on is what you talk about before coming to Old Trafford, and unfortunately we conceded another poor goal for the second."

United will next face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, while Stoke will host Everton on Saturday.