Stoke City condemned Manchester United to a fourth straight defeat to increase the pressure on manager Louis van Gaal.
Bojan Krkic broke the deadlock after a poor header back to David de Gea from Memphis Depay allowed Glen Johnson to play it back to the Spanish forward.
Stoke went 2-0 ahead through Marko Arnautovic's 25-yard finish after Bojan's free-kick had hit the wall.
Van Gaal dropped captain Wayne Rooney, who came on as a half-time substitute, and United struggled to create chances.
Stoke, who climbed three places to eighth in the Premier League, were superior throughout and could have won by more.
Arnautovic missed a great chance to add to United's misery when clean through, while Potters keeper Jack Butland denied Marouane Fellaini, Anthony Martial and Juan Mata.
Rooney decision backfires badly on Van Gaal
Van Gaal was already under pressure before kick-off after a poor run of form but the manner of United's defeat at the Britannia Stadium - together with the manager's decision to leave out England skipper Rooney - is bound to raise more questions about the Dutchman's future.
United rarely looked like getting back into the game after falling behind and showed little desire and leadership as they found themselves outmuscled and outfought by an impressive Stoke side.
They were already 2-0 behind after an awful first-half display when Rooney, starting on the bench in a league match for the first time since 28 January 2014, was introduced at the start of the second period.
They improved after the break, but Stoke, managed by former United forward Mark Hughes, deserved their victory.
Can't score, can't defend
United's lack of goals- seven in the past nine league games - has been well documented yet their latest downfall was caused by alarming mistakes at the back.
Depay's intended header back to his keeper De Gea was far too short and Bojan made the visitors pay with a close-range finish in the 19th minute after Johnson seized on the error to set up the former Barcelona player.
It was 2-0 seven minutes later when Bojan's free-kick rebounded off the wall and Arnautovic, who was quickest to react, produced a sublime finish from outside the area.
United had hardly tested Butland when Austria international Arnautovic got the better of Phil Jones after a delightful pass from Bojan only to fire wide when clean through.
Man of the match - Bojan Krkic
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (3) & SUBSTITUTIONS (5)
Stoke City
- 01 Butland
- 08 Johnson
- 17 Shawcross
- 26 Wollscheid
- 03 Pieters
- 20 Cameron (Adam - 75' )
- 06 Whelan (Van Ginkel - 45' )
- 22 Shaqiri (Diouf - 65' )
- 14 Afellay
- 10 Arnautovic
- 27 Krkic Booked
Substitutes
- 11 Joselu
- 12 Wilson
- 15 Van Ginkel
- 16 Adam
- 18 Diouf
- 19 Walters
- 29 Haugaard
Manchester United
- 01 de Gea
- 18 Young Booked
- 04 Jones
- 12 Smalling
- 17 Blind
- 16 Carrick
- 21 Herrera (Pereira - 82' Booked )
- 08 Mata
- 27 Fellaini
- 07 Depay (Rooney - 45' )
- 09 Martial
Substitutes
- 10 Rooney
- 20 Romero
- 28 Schneiderlin
- 30 Varela
- 33 McNair
- 43 Borthwick-Jackson
- 44 Pereira
Ref: Kevin Friend
Att: 27,426
Stoke 2 Manchester United 0
United slumped to another defeat, against Stoke; with another insipid performance.The first fifteen minutes of the game, played in very blustery conditions, saw Stoke City have the majority of the possession but without testing David de Gea in the Manchester United goal.
United`s poor start to the half was, however; punished in the 19th minute when Stoke City went ahead. The goal was straight out of Sunday league football with Depay making a schoolboy error with his back-header, aimed towards De Gea, going straight to Glen Johnson who calmly squared the ball for Bojan to score from very close range.
Matters got worse for United in the 26th minute when Stoke doubled their lead. The goal coming after a free-kick was blocked and Arnautovic smashed home the rebound from outside of the area.
United were looking very rocky in defence and offering very little going forward. Stoke had a golden opportunity to increase their lead as half-time approached when a superb pass from Bojan by-pass Smalling and Jones only for Arnautovic not to take advantage of the gift that had come his way.
The obligatory couple of minutes of stoppage time were played but it was to be our hosts who were to go into the dressing rooms boosted by a two goal lead.
Half Time - Stoke 2 Manchester United 0
The second half started with Wayne Rooney on in place of Memphis Depay for United and Marco van Ginkel on for Glen Whelan for Stoke.
The substitution didn`t seem to improve United much with the display not being a memorable one and with United struggling to carve out a decent chance in the first hour, the away support were a disgruntled bunch.
United`s first real chance of the half came when a Rooney ball into the box found Fellaini but his shot was straight at Butland in the Stoke goal.
Adam, on as a substitute for Stoke, tried his luck from the halfway home and saw his lob land on the roof of the net.
Butland, the highly rated Stoke keeper was also to deny Martial in the second half but it was another poor and uninspiring display from a United side managed by a manager who might now be on borrowed time.
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