Stoke City 0 Manchester United 1:Carlos Tevez ensured Manchester United made a successful return to domestic business and kept up the pressure on the Premier League leaders.
The striker scored the vital goal with seven minutes remaining to end 10-man Stoke's brave resistance, shortly after Andy Wilkinson was ordered off.
However it took United a while to get going after they only arrived back on Monday from Japan.
The new Club World Cup champions only got into their stride in the second half at the Britannia Stadium.
They were forced to make a late change with Jonny Evans replacing Rio Ferdinand who injured his back in the warm-up, and they struggled to get their game together in the first half.
Stoke made a bright start and Ricardo Fuller got on the end of a ball from Rory Delap, but Paul Scholes took the ball off his toes as he was about to shoot.
Delap then showed he had shrugged off a nagging shoulder injury to launch one of his trademark throw-ins but United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was equal to it.
Abdoulaye Faye was penalised for a challenge on Scholes 20 yards out.
There was a buzz of anticipation among the United fans as Cristiano Ronaldo shaped to take the free-kick, but he only succeeded in sending his effort into the wall.
Ronaldo protested that there was an infringement but referee Chris Foy would have none of it.
United pushed forward at the start of the second half and Tevez cut inside but Sorensen turned his effort around the post after 47 minutes.
Sorensen again had to look alert in the 57th minute following a 25-yard snap shot from Scholes.
Stoke were continuing to ask questions of the visitors and Van der Sar parried Delap's close-range effort, which was possibly intended as a cut-back for a team-mate, after a clever free-kick in the 68th minute.
Stoke were reduced to 10 men in the 72nd minute when Wilkinson was dismissed following his second yellow-card offence, a heavy challenge on Ronaldo.
Manager Tony Pulis responded by taking off Delap and bringing on central defender Andrew Davies, but Stoke could not cling on and United grabbed the winner in the 83rd minute through the industrious Tevez.
Neville started the move and delivered the ball into the area where Berbatov controlled it with ease.
He played it on to Tevez, who scored only his second league goal of the campaign, at the back post.
United boss Alex Ferguson praised his side's patience after a tough week of travel for the players.
"They've handled it very well. Sometimes you have to be patient in games like this. It was worth it to get three points.
"At this stage of the season they are all big wins when you get them. I'm very pleased with that."
Ferguson also revealed that Ferdinand will be out for up to 10 days, ruling him out of the clash against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Monday.
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