David Ljunggren: Perhaps we can stop those "Mark Hughes to Chelsea/Man Utd" rumours for a while. Stoke are looking pretty average tonight.

Mitesh Mistry: Martial, Mata & Rooney just awesome tonight. Light at the end of the tunnel for LVG? 4th place still possible?

Boos from the home fans as former Manchester City man Stephen Ireland comes on for Bojan, who had an anonymous game.

Anthony Martial, frustrated he doesn't win a free-kick, runs back at Phil Bardsley and brings him down. It earns the Frenchman a yellow card.

Peter Crouch is penalised for a push on Jesse Lingard, the tallest man against the smallest. A mis-match if ever you saw one.

Manchester United threatening to run riot. Wayne Rooney tries to return the favour to team-mate Anthony Martial, but the Frenchman is off balance and his shot flies over.

Martial is going to leave the Stoke defenders having nightmares tonight, he has been sensational.

Image source, Reuters

Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian earns the first yellow of the game after tugging back Ibrahim Afellay on the run.

Maarten Casier: Welcome back Manchester United, I really missed you! BTW, where is Giggs?

Goal from Wayne Rooney, game over for Stoke.

Or is it?

No, Rooney's strike at the near post is chalked off by referee Roger East.

The captain runs on to a ball over the top and he's shoulder to shoulder with Glen Johnson. Is it a push, or an old-fashioned shoulder barge? The referee thinks it's a push and the third goal is disallowed.

Not happening for Stoke today. Midfielder Glenn Whelan picks out Marko Arnautovic brilliantly on the edge of the box. The Austrians jinks a couple of challenges but the finish it awful, off balance and high into the stand. He won't want to see that one again.

Back under way at Old Trafford.

Image source, EPA

Seven Manchester United players were involved in their second goal, starting from Michael Carrick (16) and finishing with a beautiful effort from Anthony Martial (9).

Image source, Opta

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Old Trafford

"As straightforward and entertaining as any first 45 minutes has been for a very long time at Old Trafford. Goals. Entertainment. Fluent play. Do not adjust your sets."

Image source, PA

Warm applause from the Manchester United fans who can't quite believe they have seen two first-half goals at Old Trafford.

Image source, Reuters

Left-back Erik Pieters' free-kick is too long and it's catching practice for David de Gea. Easily taken by the Manchester United man, like a fielder on the boundary at Lord's.

Stoke have a free-kick deep in the Manchester United half, can they make anything of it?

I suggested early on that Anthony Martial could have a field day today playing on the left and he looks to be having just that.

He goes at Stoke right-back Phil Bardsley, who runs away like a kid being chased by a dog. He can't get away quick enough. Martial's final ball is poor, though, and Stoke can clear.

Can Stoke steal one before half-time? Phil Bardley's low cross from the right makes the home defenders scramble the ball away. If they can get one, it will cause all sorts of panic and they'll likely get a second too.

Four minutes til the interval.

Anthony Martial is such an exciting prospect with his direct, pacey running. You can see the fear in the Stoke defender's feet as soon as he picks up the ball, not knowing whether to make a tackle of back off.

The Frenchman squares the ball to Juan Mata, whose shot is blocked and the home side recycle it towards the little Spaniard again, but his free header from around six-yards out goes horribly wrong and wide of goal.

A wry smile from Mata, he knows he should do better.

Stoke will need to take every chance that falls to them but they've not tested David de Gea yet. Ibrahim Afellay blazes wildly over from the edge of the area.

At the next attack, the same player's shot from a similar position takes a nick off Chris Smalling and goes for a corner.

Warning signs, the home side fail to clear and the ball drops to Jon Walters, who spins and shoots over.