United 2 West Brom 0

The Barclays Premier League leaders looked to extend the advantage with Welbeck unable to reach a long ball by Tom Cleverley and then working Foster from a Kagawa pass. Some of the football was spellbinding at times and, after one stunning move, Carrick had a shot charged down.

On the half-hour mark, Young could only divert a header over the top when a Welbeck drive deflected to him at the far post before the hosts really turned up the heat. A peach of a pass down the line by Kagawa released Antonio Valencia and his cross eventually found its way through to Young. The former Aston Villa star's shot was goalbound until Foster made a superb one-handed save to tip it onto the bar.

From the resulting corner, Vidic poked the ball back to Carrick following a scramble but the midfielder's effort was blocked by Gabriel Tamas with Old Trafford anticipating a second strike. Another flag-kick saw Vidic head wide and Cleverley mishit a cross that drifted off target.

Albion mustered a moment of danger when Peter Odemwingie broke into the box between Smalling and Valencia but the forward dragged wide. However, most of the action was at the other end as Foster was lucky to see his clearance cannon past his right-hand post off Welbeck, who charged him down with his usual zest.

Steve Clarke's side managed to finish a one-sided half in the ascendancy by earning a couple of free-kicks around the area but captain Vidic kept things tight in defence after earlier proving his full return