GettyImagesTwo-goal hero Wayne Rooney celebrates with fellow scorer Robin van Persie

Chelsea's impressive performance at Spurs put Manchester United under pressure before kickoff, and the need for victory against Stoke was acute. Despite the questionable behaviour of some of the Blues personnel, it is now impossible to ignore the quality of the Londoners' football.

Meanwhile, the themes for United's season are establishing themselves and the imbalance in the team is undeniable. As is their capacity for self-defeating passages of play, but they just keep on scoring. In that regard, United are the equals of Chelsea and the game against them at Stamford Bridge next weekend looms large.

- Rooney fires Man United fightback

Stoke's results at Old Trafford have been woeful in recent years, and their lack of endeavour could largely be to blame for that. However, there was a renewed sense of vigour to their approach today, and they put the United back four under pressure early on.

United's defence is still a shambles, and Stoke walked all over it in the first half. The fullbacks allowed the wingers to centre the ball too easily, and Stoke's game plan -- to exploit David De Gea's weakness -- was clearly to put as many crosses in as possible. It worked.

It took De Gea 10 minutes to show both sides of his game -- struggling with the high ball but one of the best shot-stoppers in the game. Wayne Rooney will no doubt be embarrassed with his first own goal, but he drew the short straw in having to mark Stoke's enormous skipper, Ryan Shawcross. However, it took the United striker just 20 minutes to make amends.

Gary Neville recently spoke about Rooney being ready for the next challenge of his career, and that challenge is keeping his place in the United team now that Robin van Persie has arrived. He is responding in typically determined fashion, if perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

United are edging closer to their preferred forward line with RVP, Rooney and Welbeck interchanging constantly. At first glance, that seems a top-heavy formation, but Rooney and van Persie are such visionary link players, as well as lethal strikers, that it has enough invention to work. It is a lineup that requires a lot of possession, though. One wonders whether it will work as successfully against more accomplished opponents.

The interplay between Welbeck and RVP was particularly noteworthy, and the latter nearly managed to match his stupendous debut goal against these opponents with a beautiful swerving shot in the 39^th minute.

By halftime, RVP had scored his eighth Manchester United goal and normal service appeared to have been resumed at 2-1. However, those who saw Sweden's comeback against Germany in midweek were taking nothing for granted.

A good thing, too, because despite Welbeck's simple headed goal in the 46^th minute, Stoke's Michael Kightly managed to bundle in a reply on the hour to leave the game in the balance at 3-2. But Rooney stepped up to the plate on the 10-year anniversary of his debut Premier League goal to make the three points secure.

All three of United's goal-scoring international strikers have registered a strike back home, and that is ominous for the club's rivals.

For all the nice things that can be said about a visiting side to Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson must be aware that his team have conceded six goals in their past three home games. That is unacceptable, and he should probably start to worry.

United are the top scorers in the division but have the ninth best defence and, with eight games gone, the team's strengths and weaknesses are clear. The midfield can hold possession and the strikers can score, but the defence is in trouble without Nemanja Vidic.

A decade on from his blistering goal against the Gunners, Rooney plundered his 199^th and 200^th career goals. If United don't shore up at the back, though, it won't matter how many he puts away, the league will be out of reach.

Follow Mark on www.twitter.com/markjpayne

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