Manchester United Enjoy Winning Return to League Action

Manchester United marked their return to action following their Japanese odyssey by taking three points off near neighbors Stoke City. Carlos Tevez hit the winner six minutes from the end of an intensely contested match, pouncing on a miscued effort by substitute Dimitar Berbatov.

Stoke had imposed a predictably robust game on the visitors until then, and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs peripheral, only Wayne Rooney had come close to scoring, though even his efforts did not unduly trouble goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen. The turning point came in the 70th minute when Stoke right-back Andy Wilkinson earned a second yellow card for an inept tackle on Ronaldo. Until that point, the hosts had threatened as often as United, but once they were reduced to 10 men the visitors took the upper hand and a goal began to look inevitable.

Chelsea ensured that United did not gain any ground on them by dispatching West Bromwich Albion 2-0. Didier Drogba, who started alongside Nicolas Anelka up front, struck after just three minutes, and Frank Lampard added the second just after half-time.

Portsmouth took an early lead against West Ham at Fratton Park thanks to Nadir Belhadj, but then fell apart and collapsed to a 4-1 defeat. Jack Collison equalised in the 20th minute before a penalty miss by Jermain Defoe ensured the sides went in level at half-time. Craig Bellamy scored two after the break, in between a strike from Carlton Cole.

At White Hart Lane, the absence of Bredde Hangeland and the first-half loss through injury of Jimmy Bullard did not prevent Fulham from recording their fourth away 0-0 in a row, leaving Tottenham Hotspur still perilously close to the relegation zone.