Stoke City 0 United 1

Late-goal specialist Carlos Tevez made it a merry Christmas for United, giving the champions all three points in the Potteries with an 83rd-minute winner.

The vital breakthrough goal was created by Dimitar Berbatov, sent on as a substitute as Sir Alex Ferguson strived to avoid another costly stalemate.
 
The Reds were dealt a Boxing Day blow when Rio Ferdinand was forced out of the first eleven at the last minute, apparently after aggravating a sore back in the warm-up. Jonny Evans stepped up from the bench to start alongside Nemanja Vidic and was almost immediately punished for a split-second’s hesitation when, with just 50 seconds on the clock, Stoke’s top scorer Ricardo Fuller got in behind the back four. Fortunately, the striker reprieved United by firing over the bar.

United's first chance was glanced across goal by Nemanja Vidic from an early Ryan Giggs corner. Another ball from a wide area, Gary Neville’s right-wing cross, was volleyed wide by Carlos Tevez with ex-Reds defender Ryan Shawcross in close attendance.

Such intense pressure on the ball from the Potters, combined with the excitable and vocal home crowd, made this important league game feel almost like a FA Cup tie with United cast as giants to be killed for the pleasure of a baying public.