Premier League: Round-up of Tuesday's action

Given Stoke's previous record at Old Trafford (not winning there since 1976 and losing the previous two fixtures 5-0 and 4-0), Sir Alex Ferguson obviously isn't expecting too much trouble and puts out a bit of an experimental side. After Wayne Rooney's injury at the weekend Javier Hernández starts up front and it's not too long before he's putting himself about and causing a problem for Robert Huth in the Stoke defence Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Ryan Giggs finds himself outnumbered on the edge of the Stoke penalty area Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

Darren Fletcher, who unlike his team-mate Hernandez, isn't having a particularly good season, manages to dispossess Tuncay Sanli in midfield Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

As expected United are enjoying greater possession but aren't quite firing on all cylinders. They take the lead however on 27 minutes courtesy of an exquisite and audacious finish by Hernández. The ball is zipped across the edge of the six-yard box by Nani for Hernández who is running in, closely followed by Robert Huth. The United forward gets in front of his marker and shielding the ball with hsi left foot, flicks the ball goalwards, and into the net, with the heel of his right boot. A lovely finish and his ninth goal of the season Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

Ryan Giggs clashes with Rory Delap Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

Dean Whitehead, right, and Danny Collins keep a close eye on the fancy footwork of Nani. The United defence should have kept an an eye on Whitehead at the start of the second half, because if they had, he wouldn't have been able to get between Vidic and Evra and head the ball past Kuszczak to equalise. That was enough to spread a bit of unease among the home crowd Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

Old Trafford breathes a collective sigh of relief 13 minutes later when the home side regain the lead thanks to another lovely strike, this time by Nani. He receives the ball from Hernández, moves it onto his left foot before firing a fierce diagonal shot past Begovic in the Stoke goal and into the net Photograph: Jon Super/AP

The game finishes 2-0 to United and the win means they've taken 31 out of 33 possible points at home, and more importantly, they are on the top of the table, three points ahead of their sky blue neighbours Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

Meanwhile down at Craven Cottage, Roberto Di Matteo's West Brom are the visitors for their bottom of the table scrap against Mark Hughes's Fulham Photograph: Rebecca Naden/PA

It's a close and open match. Here Fulham's Simon Davies, right, is beaten to the ball by James Hurst Photograph: Henry Browne/Action Images

However Davies puts a stop to it being a close affair when, during first-half injury time, he receives the ball from Etuhu and from 30 yards out decides to give it a welly ... Photograph: Henry Browne/Action Images

The ball swerves a tad in the air but is going straight towards West Brom's keeper, Scott Carson, but unfortunately for him it then goes straight through his hands and into the back of the net ... Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

The Fulham midfielder seems a bit surprised but that doesn't stop him celebrating Photograph: Rebecca Naden/PA

The Fulham team are so up for this game they're even tackling each other - Clint Dempsey has to fend off his team-mate Chris Baird. Dempsey doubles the homeside's lead 10 minutes after half time when, climbing above another team-mate, Hangeland, he heads the ball past Carson Photograph: Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Just past the hour mark Brede Hangeland finds himself all alone six yards out and he rises high and heads the ball down and past Carson. It's an easy 3-0 victory for the home side and the three points mean they leap six places up the table from 19th to 13th. Di Matteo's team, however, find themselves just outside of the relegation zone Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Birmingham make the trip up the M6 to face Blackpool and hope that they can grab three points which will take them out of the relegation zone. Things look good for them mid-way through the first half when Alexander Hleb bursts into the home side's penalty area and lifts the ball over Richard Kingson and into the empty net Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images

Birmingham's Keith Fahey tries a novel way to stop Luke Varney from going on a marauding run down the left Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

Blackpool's player of the month for December, DJ Campbell, fires a left foot shot goalwards, before later volleying home from 12 yards to make it 1-1 Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Matt Derbyshire and Neal Eardley, left, get in a tangle as they clash for the ball Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Luke Varney rues missing a chance to score Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

There's a disaster for the home side a minute from the final whistle when Roger Johnson plays the ball back towards his fellow centre half, Scott Dann, who stabs the ball home ... Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

... and then looks pretty pleased with the result which pulls Blues out of the relegation zone Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA