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MANCHESTER. — Manchester United took time off from their pursuit of Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez to coast to a comfortable 3-0 victory against Stoke City at Old Trafford on Monday night. And Paul Pogba says Manchester United still have their sights set on catching Manchester City in the English Premier League soccer title race. Pogba was in fine form as United beat Stoke 3-0 at Old Trafford on Monday night, a result which reduced the gap to leaders City to 12 points.

Asked if City’s 4-3 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday gave the Red Devils a lift, Pogba told Sky Sports: “Obviously we see Manchester City in front of us and they lost. “They are first so we always want to catch them, so it was good that they lost, so for us we have to think about ourselves. “It’s good that they lose points but we have to go back to winning because we want to catch them again.”

He added: “We’re not looking to the past. We’re just looking to the future and the next games. “We just want to catch City. We just have to focus on ourselves, keep winning and I think we will be OK.” Antonio Valencia and Anthony Martial in the first half, and Romelu Lukaku after the break, were on the score-sheet as Jose Mourinho finally beat struggling Stoke as United manager at the fourth time of asking.

But this performance, and numerous missed chances, still gave Mourinho plenty of evidence he needs to add Sanchez to his squad during the January transfer window, despite cutting neighbours Manchester City’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to 12 points after their unbeaten league run was ended by Liverpool on Sunday.

United believe they have won the battle for the £35 million-rated Sanchez, who is out of contract with Arsenal at the end of the season, especially after City let the Gunners know on Monday that they are no longer interested in Sanchez, given his fee and salary demands.

New Stoke manager Paul Lambert, appointed on the morning of this game, was watching from the stands before officially starting work yesterday and must have been unimpressed as United raced into an early lead through Valencia, back in the United line-up after a month out through injury.

The right-back received a pass after good work outside the area from Pogba and darted into the box, running at teenage defender Joshua Tymon, starting just the second league game of his career. Valencia was given room to advance before firing past the dive of Jack Butland from 16 yards out with a left-foot shot — something of a collector’s item. — AFP.