It was apt that the two men who have been the main architects of taking the prize back from their noisy neighbours should take centre stage as the Dutchman's 66th- minute penalty sealed victory here.
Ferguson paid £22million to bring the former Arsenal striker to Old Trafford last summer knowing he needed something big to lift the club after the heartbreak of losing their crown on goal difference.
Van Persie's response has been stunning, even taking into account his recent drought which was ended yesterday with his first goal in 11 games.
This time it would not go lame either unlike last season as the Reds turned Devon Loch and surrendered an eight-point lead with six games left.
Antonio Valencia said last week that worries were creeping in again after the derby defeat had cut the gap at the top to 12.
Well it is back to 15 now and even with City's game in hand a maximum of seven points from their final six games is all that United need.
It was too easy for Fergie's boys yesterday at The Britannia as they took victory without getting out of second gear against woeful Stoke.
It took just four minutes for the home side's already brittle confidence to be dealt a shattering blow as United took the lead.
It was all rather untidy for the Potters as they failed to deal with Van Persie's corner which had time to bounce around before Michael Carrick stuck out a boot.
His contact on the stretch sent the ball crawling past the outstretched arm of Asmir Begovic and in off the far post.
It was Carrick's first Premier League goal of the season and he seemed to react more in shock than anything else as he was engulfed by his team-mates.
Valencia broke from inside his half and fed Wayne Rooney who was playing in a deep-lying defensive midfield role alongside Carrick for the first time.
Andy Wilkinson was shadowing him but when Van Persie suddenly cut back away from him, the Stoke full-back's trailing leg brought him down.
They have played with a machine-like consistency that has brought just that one defeat, by City in the derby, in 20 league games.
But Roberto Martinez's men have two games in hand to make up the three points' difference and are certainly in better form.
It is just one win in 14 in the Premier League now for Tony Pulis' men since they beat Liverpool 3-1 at home on Boxing Day.
STOKE: Begovic 6, Cameron 5 (Jerome 5), Shawcross 6, Huth 6, Wilkinson 5, Shotton 5, Whelan 7, Nzonzi 6, Adam 7, Walters 6 (Owen 4), Jones 4 (Crouch 4). Subs not used: Sorensen, Palacios, Whitehead, Kightly. Booked: Jerome.
MAN UTD: De Gea 7, Jones 7, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 7, Evra 7, Valencia 5, Carrick 8, Rooney 8, Kagawa 5, Hernandez 7 (Welbeck 5), Van Persie 7. Subs not used: Lindegaard, Evans, Giggs, Smalling, Cleverley, Buttner. Booked: Valencia.
Via: [Live -] Online - TV] São Paulo FC - Atletico Mineiro - Copa Libertadores
No comments:
Post a Comment