A dominant display from the Reds coupled with goals from Dimitar Berbatov and John O’Shea secured an impressive 2-0 victory over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, but the star of the show once again was Ryan Giggs.

Having run rings round Manchester City’s defence last time out setting up three of United’s four goals in the dramatic derby win, the club’s record appearance-maker came off the bench to inspire the Reds to a seventh straight victory in all competitions with two more vital assists.

Stoke offered little in attack and simply couldn’t cope with United’s Welsh wonder who, five minutes after entering the fray, crossed for Berbatov to tap home, before curling a free-kick onto the head of O’Shea who flicked home United’s second.

Sir Alex Ferguson made ten changes to the side that started against Wolves in midweek with Nani the only survivor from the Carling Cup third round victory. And the Portuguese winger was heavily involved in United’s early attacks. Just three minutes in, his deflected cross fell to Wayne Rooney whose instinctive overhead kick flew over the bar.

The United pair combined well four minutes later from a short corner with Nani sending a low curling effort just wide of Thomas Sorensen’s left-hand post.

Former Reds’ defender Ryan Shawcross breathed a sigh of relief 60 seconds later when he lost out in a challenge with Antonio Valencia allowing the Ecuadorian a free run on goal. Despite having Rooney alongside him, the winger opted to shoot himself with the opportunity to open his United account too good to pass up. Unfortunately he clipped the ball wide of the far post.

The visitors were dominating possession with Paul Scholes pulling the strings in midfield, Rooney as busy and as bright as ever and Valencia and Nani seeing plenty of the ball leaving the Premier League’s loudest fans somewhat subdued. The Potters’ faithful raised the decibel level on 13 minutes though when Liam Lawrence ran clear of Patrice Evra down the right, but thankfully his cross-cum-shot did not trouble Ben Foster.

Soon after United broke forward at pace from a Stoke corner with Rooney finding Nani down the right, but the Portuguese international wasted the opportunity, blasting over when he could have simply rolled the ball back into Rooney’s path on the edge of the box.

Nani did hit the target a minute before the break, but Sorensen was on hand to brilliantly punch his curling effort clear.

United carried on where they left off after the restart possession-wise, although Stoke seemed a little more ambitious in attack. Thankfully, Foster and his defence were alert to any danger and dealt comfortably with any high balls into the area.

The Reds were still struggling to find a way through at the other end, but the introduction of Ryan Giggs, for Nani on 57 minutes, proved pivotal and ultimately led to the breakthrough.

A superb threaded pass from Darren Fletcher into the path of Giggs, who had sprinted into the area from the left, was followed by a pinpoint low cross from the Welshman giving Dimitar Berbatov the simple task of slotting home from three yards in the 62nd minute. It was the Bulgarian’s second goal of the season and he was the first to acknowledge yet another fine assist from Giggs.

The Reds were lucky not to go down to ten men soon after when Scholes was penalised for handball. Having already been shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Lawrence earlier in the half the midfielder breathed a sigh of relief when referee Howard Webb opted not to produce another.

Giggs found himself through on goal after a long ball forward but Sorensen did well to put him off and his effort sailed wide.

The United veteran turned provider once more on 77 minutes when he swung in a free-kick from the right wing. John O’Shea, making his 350th appearance, rose to meet the fine cross and sent a fine header into the top corner to put 2-0 ahead.

Three minutes later a d

United deservedly won this pulsating derby in the high drama of injury time, but only after fans' nerves had been shredded after they let City back into the game three times. The Reds should have had it wrapped up, but with the scores locked at 3-3 after 90 minutes, Michael Owen chose the most opportune time to hit his first Old Trafford goal.

Rooney had given the Reds the lead, only for Tevez to capitalise on Foster's error and set up Gareth Barry's equaliser. Darren Fletcher then twice put United in front, but Craig Bellamy equalised on both occasions. That left substitute Owen to latch onto the outstanding Ryan Giggs' throughball and, in the sixth minute of injury time, poked home a brilliant winner.

It certainly was a game of two halves as, despite United's rapid start, City had most of the possession before the break. But the victory was wholly justified as United's second-half display was sheer class.

As the City players began their warm-up before the game, the boos that normally greet their visit were that little bit louder as Carlos Tevez had recovered from injury to make City’s starting XI. There was no place, of course, for the suspended Emmanuel Adebayor or the injured Robinho. Still, our blue neighbours would not entirely be deterred. Their 100 per cent start to the campaign, on the back of huge summer spending, has given rise to the belief (largely at Eastlands) that they are title challengers. At this stage at least, City are mere pretenders. And a large flag unveiled at the old scoreboard end before kick-off spelt it out simply, yet emphatically. Welcome to Manchester: 18 Premier League titles. 3 European Cups. 11 FA Cups. At the other end of the ground, the clock is clicking onto 34 years.

Sir Alex promised the game would be feisty, and that’s how it started. Tevez, typically tenacious, gave United an early fright when he blocked Ben Foster’s clearance, but from the resulting throw-in the Reds countered with Dimitar Berbatov, who slid an incisive pass into Rooney’s path. He was tackled by Micah Richards, but from a second throw-in City were caught out. Evra advanced along the byline unmarked before finding Rooney six yards out; he steadied himself with two blue shirts in close proximity and poked a shot through Shay Given’s legs. A dream start after just two minutes.

However, it was the high point in a frustrating half for United. After 17 minutes the Reds were pegged back – Tevez the goal’s architect. During two years at Old Trafford, United were well-accustomed to Tevez eagerly pestering opposition goalkeepers. And so – especially after an earlier warning – it was surprising that Foster didn’t clear his lines from a harmless blue ball forward. Instead, the Reds keeper hesitated, allowing Tevez to tackle him and lay the ball off for Gareth Barry, who side-footed past Nemanja Vidic on the line.

Despite the excellent start, the Reds enjoyed limited opportunities in front of goal for the remainder of the half. Berbatov saw a long-range effort go over and then couldn’t keep a header down from Giggs’ free-kick. City, with three central midfielders to United’s two, enjoyed a dominant share of possession, but they too lacked the guile to create. That is, until the final minute of the half when the ball was worked through to Tevez in the area. The Argentinian, with just Foster to beat, hit the post but that was largely due to Evra’s off-putting intervention.

Sir Alex is famed for his half-time motivational speeches, and this one must have been a corker because the Reds came back out with fire in their bellies. Within three minutes, Evra and Giggs combined well with the latter sending a deep cross to the far post, and Fletcher rose above the City defence to head past Given and make it advantage United again. Once more, though, City plucked something out of nothing to level the scores. Bellamy was allowed too much time on the ball and United were again ruthlessly punishe

United's quest to erase the agonies of Rome opened with an efficient away win in Istanbul, thanks to a second-half header from Paul Scholes.

The veteran Reds midfielder will sit out the Manchester derby after Saturday's undeserved red card at Spurs but he wasn't going to miss the opportunity presented to him when Nani's initial shot was saved by Besiktas goalkeeper Hakan Arikan in the 77th minute.

The 1-0 victory was no more than United deserved after dominating possession and carrying the greater attacking threat through the likes of Nani and Champions League debutant Antonio Valencia. The two wingers came into the starting line-up as Sir Alex opted to put Dimitar Berbatov on the bench and rest Ryan Giggs altogether; the other changes to the side that won in style at Spurs brought Gary Neville in for John O'Shea at right-back and Michael Carrick replacing Darren Fletcher in midfield.

Besiktas' first real moment of alarm came when Valencia dived in an effort to flick on Nani’s left-wing corner, only for a defender to do it for him and send the ball arcing towards the top corner. Arikan, starting in preference to Turkish legend Rustu Recber, was alert enough to parry it; moments earlier he saved Carrick's first shot on target.

Arikan was less than convincing on crosses, needing two attempts to gather the ball after flapping at Valencia’s centre. The Ecuadorian was tasked with tucking in from the right whenever United attacked on the opposite flank and he was unlucky not to conncet cleanly when Rooney pinged one in from the left. Besiktas’s best spell of the first half was triggered when Serdar Ozkan’s shot from distance was deflected just over the bar by Jonny Evans, with Ben Foster seemingly beaten had the ball been an inch or two lower. A flurry of three corners followed but United’s rearguard, marshalled by returning club skipper Neville, comfortably weathered the brief storm from the home side.

The Reds defenders were generally at liberty to push up, especially Patrice Evra whose threat around the box just before the break was crudely snuffed out by Rodrigo Tabata’s foul. The Brazilian midfielder escaped a yellow card and Nani missed a further opportunity to punish him when he fired the free-kick over from the left-hand edge of the area, evidently to Sir Alex’s frustration. Perhaps the boss had just learned of Ronaldo’s successful conversion in Zurich for Real Madrid.

The second half opened with attacks at both ends; United’s raid resulted in Carrick shooting tamely towards goal after Nani’s cross was cleared off the line by Matteo Ferrari, then Ozkan forced a fruitless corner on the counter-attack – one of the livewire winger’s final acts before he was surprisingly substituted. Another of Besiktas’s best players, Tabata, was also withdrawn later, having forced a rare save from Foster.

Sir Alex made his first two substitutions in one hit just after the hour, sending on Berbatov and Michael Owen as a strike pair for his two wingers to aim for. The players to make way were Rooney, after a decent shift as the lone striker, and Carrick, one of three central midfielders. Later Ji-sung Park put a few minutes on his clock as a late replacement for Valencia.

The Reds’ rapid right winger had earned his rest, having fired several menacing balls into the box in the second half, including a shot which nearly sneaked inside the far post and a cross that almost found Owen but struck the legs of Arikan while the linesman flagged.

A less dynamic piece of distribution brought United’s breakthrough after 77 minutes when Valencia passed into the feet of Nani and the Portuguese shifted his weight to sting the palms of Arikan. It was a decent save by the Turkish keeper but only until Scholes followed up to head home on the rebound and finally silence the booming Besiktas crowd.

It was the perfect way for Scholes to put Saturday’s sending off behind him, and for United to begin this