Good afternoon. We’re about to get started at the Britannia so here are the teams;

Stoke: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Wilkinson, Shotton, Whelan, Nzonzi, Adam, Walters, Jones. Subs: Sorensen, Palacios, Owen, Whitehead, Kightly, Crouch, Jerome.

Manchester United: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Rooney, Kagawa, Hernandez, van Persie. Subs: Lindegaard, Evans, Giggs, Smalling, Welbeck, Cleverley, Buttner.

And we’re up and running. United wearing their change blue strip, Stoke in red and white stripes.

GOAL! Stoke 0-1 Manchester United (Michael Carrick)

With just 4 minutes on the clock, the Potters concede from a corner. The ball is whipped in and when it’s not dealt with, Michael Carrick pokes the ball past Asmir Begovic.

Ireland’s Jon Walters, playing wide left for Stoke today, has had a shot at goal but it’s well wide and doesn’t trouble David De Gea in the United goal.

Carrick and Rooney exchange passes in the middle of the park and the England striker decides to have a pop from distance but Begovic punches clear.

Here’s the goal:

YouTube credit: FGols10

Charlie Adam goes down in the United box but play is waved on and Robin van Persie gets the shot off down the other end moments later. Begovic saves once again.

There’s a stoppage in play with Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson getting his head patched up after being on the receiving end of a boot from Javier Hernandez.

Antonio Valencia concedes a free but the delivery from Adam isn’t a good one and United clear the ball.

With a couple of minutes to half-time, the visitors have a free-kick thanks to a break from Shinji Kagawa. Rooney takes but his shot curls over the wall and off target.

Stoke have their first corner of the day and De Gea punches away from Adam before the Scot wins another corner. The second delivery is played to the front post for Ryan Shawcross but the centre-half can’t direct his flick towards the goal.

Half-time: Stoke 0-1 Manchester United

The second half is off and running. No changes on either side.

Robin van Persie, who has been quiet this afternoon, collects a great pass from Hernandez but can only find the sidenetting his his strike when you’d expect him to hit the target.

A rare chance falls the way of Walters, who can’t capitalise and blazes over. Ryan Shotton heads down a cross to his team-mate and Walters blasts high and wide.

Adams is next with an effort at De Gea’s goal. The former Liverpool midfielder shoots from distance and the United stopper collects comfortably.

Carrick gets caught in possession and Kenwyne Jones, seeing a couple of yards open up in front of him, opts to shoot instead of picking out a fellow Stoke player. The attempt doesn’t find the target.

Meanwhile, Valencia has just picked up the first yellow of the afternoon.

PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED…

GOAL! Stoke 0-2 Manchester United (Robin van Persie)

After Wilkinson brings the Dutchman down, he breaks his goalscoring drought by firing past Begovic.

Stoke respond immediately through Shotton but De Gea is down quickly.

There are shouts for a penalty when  Jones trips over Vidic, who has lost his footing, but play is waved on.

Tony Pulis has also just replaced Cameron with Jerome.

RVP gave Alex Ferguson an almighty hug after scoring…

Former United player Michael Owen has entered the fray while Danny Welbeck comes on for the visitors.

De Gea has to be at his best to bat away a Charlie Adam free-kick which takes a tricky bounce just a yard or two in front of the United keeper.

That Van Persie goal… and over-elaborate celebration:

YouTube credit: TheEnglandLeague1

Stoke have just brought on Peter Crouch for Kenwyne Jones.

Full-time: Stoke 0-2 Manchester United

So United record a fairly routine win against the Potters to open up a 15-point gap between themselves and Manchester City, who have just kicked off against Chelsea in the second FA Cup semi-final.

You can follow the action at our Score Center here.