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Carlos Tevez hammered home a late winner as Manchester United turned up the heat on the Premier League pace-setters with victory at Stoke City.

0-1 C.Tevez 81′

Tevez made no mistake from six yards with seven minutes left.

Stoke had mounted fierce resistance, but were reduced to 10 men for the last 18 minutes after Andy Wilkinson was sent off for fouling Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ricardo Fuller wasted Stoke’s best chance in the opening seconds, but United’s pressure deserved the win.

It was the perfect return to domestic action for United after they beat LDU Quito in Japan on Sunday to lift the Club World Cup in Japan.

The league leaders will now feel the champions closing in, especially as they have games in hand.

United made five changes to the side that won that trophy – one enforced when defender Rio Ferdinand injured his back in the warm-up and was replaced by Jonny Evans.

THIS SEASON’S REVERSE FIXTURE

Manchester United 5-0 Stoke City

15 November 2008 – Ref: Peter Walton
Man Utd scorers: Ronaldo 3, Carrick 45, Berbatov 49, Welbeck 84, Ronaldo 89